A 56-year-old internal auditor found with almost 2,000 images of child pornography purchased on the internet has received a two-year suspended sentence from Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
David Walsh, Ardilaun, Portmarnock, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of 1,958 child pornographic images there and at Beverton Court, Donabate, on February 27th, 2002.
Judge Yvonne Murphy who described the offence as "child abuse, plain and simple", said the probation report was very positive.
"It is clear that he has made tremendous progress and has been of help to others, which is a very positive thing to read in a report."
Judge Murphy, who was shown 50 sample images of those found in Walsh's possession to demonstrate to her their "full spectrum", said she was encouraged by reports from the Granada Institute that the possibility of Walsh reoffending was very low.
Det Sgt James Madden said at the last hearing that Walsh had purchased the images, which depicted mostly female children from infants to 12 or 13-year-olds in sexual poses and engaged in sexual activity, over a six-month period in 1999.
Det Sgt Madden told prosecuting counsel, Ms Una Ní Raefeartaigh BL, that Walsh's possession of the images came to light when US authorities informed gardaí that he had used his AIB Visa card 22 times between January and July 1999 to access child pornographic web sites hosted by a company called Landslides.
He agreed that Walsh, a married man with two daughters in their mid-20s, had been fully co-operative when confronted by gardaí. He had allowed them to search his marital home in Portmarnock where he produced the CD on to which he had burned the internet images.
He also told gardaí he had used a computer at his other address in Donabate to access the site.
