Former crèche worker gets jail sentence over child abuse videos

A former crèche worker who admitted distributing child abuse videos she received in a WhatsApp group has been sentenced to nine months in jail

Evelyn Ajie (51)of Clifton Terrace, Summerhill North, Cork appeared before Cork District Court where she pleaded guilty to two charges of knowingly distributing child abuse images. She also admitted a charge of knowingly having in her possession three videos described as child pornography.

Sgt Pat Lyons told Judge Olann Kelleher that Ajie received the videos, which involved the abuse of a baby and boy of 12, in a Whats App group and forwarded them on to others.

The distribution of the messages was flagged last year by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. Google also alerted gardaí, who seized Ajie's mobile phone.

Defence solicitor Pat Horan said his client had lived in Ireland for 18 years. The court heard she had worked at a crèche but had to give up her job because of poor health.

Mr Horan said his client had made voluntary statements to gardaí and fully accepted her culpability.

Judge Kelleher said the defendant “knew exactly what she was doing” and it was not a once-off incident.

He jailed Ajie for nine months. She lodged a cash bond of €500 and was freed on bail pending an appeal against the sentence.