No jail for Corkman who ended up accessing child sex abuse images online during covid

The court heard the accused was extremely apologetic and co-operated at all times with the investigation

Judge Kelleher imposed a nine-month sentence suspended on condition that the defendant would continue to take the directions of the probation service including attendance at the Safer Lives programme, which the judge described as a very successful type of programme. File picture: Larry Cummins

A young man who spent too much time on his own online during the covid-19 pandemic ended up accessing child sex abuse imagery, but since then has co-operated with the investigation and complied with all directions of the probation service.

In all the circumstances, Judge Olann Kelleher said that while it was a serious charge the mitigating factors allowed for the imposition of a suspended sentence. The Director of Public Prosecutions decided that the case involving possession of images and videos of child abuse images in March last year would only be dealt with at district court level on a guilty plea.