Ex-Royal Navy officer caught in UK police sting with 10,000 child abuse images in Westmeath jailed

The judge said: 'It would be difficult for someone to think this type of offending was in any way victimless.'

Mark Barlow pleaded guilty to two offences under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998, at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court. Photo: Tom Tuite

WARNING: Some readers may find the following report upsetting

A Westmeath-based man caught with 10,000 images and 50 videos of child sexual abuse at his home after an online sting operation involving undercover British police has been jailed.

Electronic engineer Mark Barlow, aged 61, formerly of Clonlost, Kilucan, Co. Westmeath, was arrested following a series of disturbing online chats with an undercover police officer in Yorkshire about fantasies involving young girls and toddlers.

The ex-Royal Navy officer from England, but living in Ireland for several years, pleaded guilty to two offences under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998, at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Kenneth Connolly imposed a two-year prison term, saying he had to take into account the nature and vast amount of material featuring young girls aged six to mid-teens, which he described as “nothing short of disgusting”.

“It is the case that Mr Barlow acknowledges that this crime is not a victimless crime, but they are the victims. They're facing you on the screen, and it would be difficult for someone to think this type of offending was in any way victimless," he said.

Divisional Protective Service Unit Detective Garda Elizabeth Glennon told Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court that the father-of-three was identified as a suspect after an initial investigation by Yorkshire and Humberside Police and Europol.

The Internet Protocol (IP) number was traced to the accused’s home, where gardaí attended on September 29, 2023. They seized his laptop and tablet computers, and phones, which had an estimated 10,000 images and 50 videos of child abuse.

They were on the child explicit and child exposure scale, of girls, some featured engaging in sexual activity with males.

Detective Garda Glennon agreed that the accused was co-operative on arrest. During his interview, he apologised and said this activity started in early 2023 when he was away a lot for work and was bored. 

He suggested that he got into the habit of looking at child sexual abuse material. Questioned about the explicit conversations, he maintained they were “purely fantasy on his part”.

The court heard he had no prior convictions and had been in the same job for the past 25 years.

Defence counsel Stephen Byrne said his client told gardaí he knew he should have stopped and that he did not instigate the conversations and deleted them because he was appalled at his actions.

The detective agreed that the accused told gardaí that over the previous year it had happened more often, and he did not know if he was addicted or not.

The court heard that he worked in the tech sector after 15 years in the navy and supported his family financially; however, his marriage had broken down, he had moved out, and his career would be affected by the case.

Barlow, who has no prior criminal convictions, also told the investigating officers that he had been bored and away a lot. The court heard that he told gardaí that he knew he should have stopped, it happened out of fascination, not sexual gratification, and he was ashamed and disgusted.

Barlow had been attending psychotherapy, and a probation report described him as being at low risk of re-offending. In court, he expressed shame for his actions, attributing them to depression due to financial and marital problems, excessive drinking, and loneliness from working overseas for lengthy periods.

Sentencing

The judge noted that a significant portion of the disturbing content came from the undercover officer but said it might have been necessary.

The email exchanges led to a child pornography production charge, which carries a 14-year sentence. For that, Judge Connolly imposed a sentence of two years and eight months, suspending the final 12 months.

He found the second charge of possession of child abuse material, punishable by five years’ imprisonment, to be more serious due to the number of images and videos.

Noting the mitigating factors, including his co-operation, remorse and guilty plea, the judge imposed a three-year term for that offence with the final year suspended. He must be of good behaviour for three years post-release and avail of intensive counselling.

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