A 31-YEAR-OLD man who admitted downloading almost 100 pornographic images of children on to a work computer while he was employed by Mayo County Council was given a 12-month suspended prison term at the Circuit Criminal Court in Castlebar yesterday.
Joseph Regan, of Aughaloor, Loughlynn, Co Roscommon, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornographic material between October 1st and October 20th, 2006, when he was working for the council as a temporary assistant resident engineer.
The court heard that Regan, who resigned his position with the local authority and now lives and works in Dublin, had the “whistle blown” on him by colleagues who found images they “were not happy with” on a work computer.
The matter was brought to the attention of Mayo county manager Des Mahon, who called in a computer expert.
Det Garda Edward McLoughlin told Judge Raymond Groarke that on Regan’s work computer, which was brought to the computer crime section in Dublin, were almost 100 images that were illegal under the Child Pornography Trafficking Act.
Det Garda Michael Hogan, of the Garda computer crime investigation unit, said the images were of children between six and 12 years, naked and semi-naked.
Fergal Rooney, a senior psychologist at the Granada Institute, said Regan had a low risk of reoffending if he engaged in a therapeutic programme.
Judge Groarke imposed a 12-month suspended prison term. He placed Regan under the supervision of the Probation Service, and directed that he avail of the therapeutic process that the service can provide.
He also said Regan must be entered on the register of sex offenders for 10 years.