Man pleads guilty to possessing animated child porn images
A 54-year-old convicted sex offender has pleaded guilty to possessing computer-generated child pornography images.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that a tip-off from Interpol led to a Garda search of John O'Neill's flat at Moyne Road in Ranelagh, south Dublin in January 2009.
Some 25 animations found on laptops seized from Mr O'Neill's flat were described as lifelike and very graphic in terms of what they depicted.
Det Sgt Mark O'Neill told the court some had speech bubbles that left the viewer in no doubt that these were images of children.
John O'Neill told gardaí he liked cartoons best and compared it to using a remote control for a TV, flicking from one image to the next.
He said he thought these computerised images were a safe way of getting gratification without involving real children.
Judge Martin Nolan will sentence him on Tuesday.
