Cork Tusla employee claimed child porn images were part of research for work
A Tusla child and family agency employee who was caught with thousands of child pornography images claimed to gardaí that he downloaded them in an effort to figure out paedophiles and sex offenders as part of his work.
However, Denis O’Donovan later pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of child pornography contrary to the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act. The particulars of the offence state that on March 9, 2017, at his home at 40 Forest Ridge, Doughcloyne, Togher, Cork, he did knowingly possess child pornography, namely 2,350 images and 14 video files.
Detective Garda David Noonan of the Protective Services Unit of An Garda Síochána which deals with online sexual offences said that all of the videos were of the most serious category 1 type and that most of the images – 2,104 – were also category 1.
The detective clarified in the course of his evidence that O’Donovan, 34, was prosecuted for possession of child pornography and pleaded guilty to that offence and was not charged with any kind of distribution charge.
Gardaí were alerted by the National Child Exploitation Co-ordination Centre and an address was identified at 40 Forest Ridge, Doughcloyne.
What triggered the centre’s initial interest in that address was the use of a particular messenger app associated with the sharing of pictures and images. It was at this point that it was stressed by defence barrister Sinead Behan today that there was no distribution charge.
Inspector Noel Madden and other garda officers went to that address with a search warrant on March 9, 2017. Denis O’Donovan was present and he was cautioned that he did not have to say anything but that what he might say could be given in evidence.
He denied any wrongdoing and said he was researching child pornography as part of his work. He later made admissions and pleaded guilty.
“He said he was using it for his work. He was employed by Tusla with the South Lee social work department of the child and family agency and he said he was part of an anti-child pornography group,” Det Garda Noonan testified at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today.
The detective said, to give a sense of the content, one of the video files was 43 seconds long and showed a four-year-old girl being subjected to penetrative and non-penetrative sexual acts by an adult male.
(In the initial interview) he acknowledged he was in possession of these images. He aligned himself with an anti-child pornography group and described the images as tame saying each child was not in distress. He said he worked with sexual offenders and paedophiles and was trying to figure them out.
“(Later) he said it started in his 20s. It escalated from looking at children under 17 naked. He would masturbate to these pictures. It was always pictures he would have preferred,” Det Garda Noonan said.
Ms Behan BL said, “His position with Tusla was administrative and he had no contact with children.” Det Garda Noonan replied, “Not that I am aware.”
Ms Behan said the defendant had made two suicide attempts since the matter came to light. He is now in alternative employment, has undergone counselling for issues related to this problem and is married since October 2017.
His wife, Caroline, also gave evidence, and said:
He made a huge mistake. He tells me all the time how sorry he is. He has remorse. He is attending all his appointments (for treatment). We just want to get on with our lives.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said, “It is a very concerning case given the man’s occupation. He has dealt with it in an extremely correct manner. He made admissions to his wife and is getting help from her (in addressing his problems).”
The judge adjourned sentencing until November for an update on his progress in therapy and said he was not binding himself on whether it would be a custodial or non-custodial sentence.
