Young Corkman jailed for having '14,000 files of voiceless children being sexually abused'

The court heard the young man has educational challenges and a diagnosis of autism ‘fell through the cracks’ during covid until he 'fell into a dark world of what is available on the internet'

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard the man's 'isolation grew during covid. He fell into a dark world of what is available on the internet. He did not have the capacity to make friends. There was an inevitability about what happened once he dipped his toe into this water.' File picture: Larry Cummins

A young man with educational challenges and a diagnosis of autism ‘fell through the cracks’ during covid until his explorations on the internet ended up in the accessing of thousands of images and videos of the most serious category of child sex abuse images.

Detective Garda Denis Howard gave evidence in the case against Killian Buckley where a computer and phone were seized at his home at Dromore Drive, Mallow, Co Cork, on October 7, 2020.

At Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Judge John Martin acknowledged the personal difficulties faced by the accused man but he said that a custodial sentence had to be imposed and he set this at two-and-a-half years with the last year suspended.

The judge said that without mitigation the case would have been serious enough to merit a sentence of four years. Many of the children depicted in the images of abuse were Asian.

Judge Martin said: “There is no one individual named as a victim in this case. However, you were in possession of 14,000 files of voiceless children being sexually abused.”

More than 9,000 were in the most serious category of such images of what the judge said, after hearing a verbal description of some of the material, was depraved abuse of children, some of them only toddlers.

The defendant pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography where there was no evidence of any distribution of the material.

Defence barrister Elaine Audley said of Killian Buckley: “He was aware it was wrong and he has stopped doing it since his house was raided. He was diagnosed with autism and has a good family support around him.

“He voluntarily provided passwords. His mother gave up work to look after him. He grew up in Mallow. He would always have struggled with language.

“His isolation grew during covid. 

He fell into a dark world of what is available on the internet. He did not have the capacity to make friends. There was an inevitability about what happened once he dipped his toe into this water.

The defendant’s mother has since given up work so that she can support her son since this material came to light. Ms Audley said: “He has extensive family support. They were absolutely horrified and shocked by what has happened. He is supervised at home at all times.

“He did express remorse and shame. My application is that, abhorrent as it is, the court would impose a fully suspended sentence or adjourn for one year to make sure that present progress is maintained.” Judge Martin refused this application.

This article was edited on April 4 for minor corrections.