Man with 'deep-seated alcohol addiction' jailed for child pornography offences
The defendant pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A man with a "deep-seated alcohol addiction" has been jailed for possession of child pornography.
Sean O’Kane, aged 35, of Tooraree, Ballyhaunis, admitted the offences when he appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A Garda investigation identified O’Kane as a person of interest and on April 27, 2021, a search warrant was obtained for his home. A mobile phone was seized, and the accused admitted to officers that he had viewed child pornography.
A total of 42 child pornography images were discovered on the phone. Of these, 25 were classed as ‘category one’ and involved children involved in sexual acts. A further 12 were deemed ‘category two’ and involved the exposure of children’s genitalia.
O’Kane had used the Kik messaging app to access the material. The pornography involved a mixture of boys and girls and the children involved were six years and older. O’Kane had shared a link containing child pornography with others on the app.
The court heard O’Kane has 13 previous convictions but none for this type of offence.
Desmond Dockery SC, representing the accused, said his client has a "chaotic lifestyle" and suffers from anxiety issues. The defendant lived in a rural and dilapidated home with his father and admitted viewing child pornography "about 10 times". O’Kane denied that he had intentionally sought out child pornography and claimed he did not know the link he sent contained child pornography.
The accused said he used the Kik app primarily to access adult pornography. He claimed he deleted the app when he first saw child porn on it but downloaded it again several times.
Mr Dockery said O’Kane had a "deep-seated alcohol" addiction and a psychological report identified this as the most pressing issue to address. He arrived at every meeting with the Probation Service late and under the influence.
“He has lived an isolated and solitary life for many years,” said his legal representative.
Judge Eoin Garavan said O’Kane seems to have "graduated from ordinary pornography" and accessed child pornography when drunk and bored. His alcohol abuse may explain why he "recklessly" shared child pornography with others while knowing what it was.
O’Kane had been in custody for four weeks after a bench warrant had to be sought and his time in prison has kept him alcohol free.
“I believe he needs to spend time in custody,” stated Judge Garavan.
He jailed the accused for seven months, backdated to February 6 to reflect time served. Upon release, O’Kane is to be placed under the supervision of the Probation Service for two years.
