New Yorker living in Cobh caught distributing child abuse images jailed for one year

A NEW Yorker living in Cobh was caught distributing child pornography and now he has been jailed for a year.

Detective Garda Rachel McGrath gave evidence of the arrest of Giovanni Di Nardi at his home at Cooline Drive, Ballyvoloon, Cobh, County Cork, back on July 19, 2021.

Gardaí had been notified of the downloading of child pornographic material to a particular user name.

On investigation, it became apparent that the person linked to this name was the accused.

A search warrant was obtained and officers called to the home of the accused.

155 images and 16 videos were found on one mobile phone. 81 of the images and 14 of the videos showed children and sexual activity and the others showed child nudity.

As soon as the defendant was questioned, he accepted ownership of the phone and said that nobody else in the house would have had access to it.

Det Garda McGrath said that the distribution charge arose out of a sharing of child pornography material with others online.

However, Mr Di Nardi told gardaí that to obtain certain material, he had to upload and share material that he had obtained previously.

That was the only reason he distributed such material, Mr Di Nardi said.

Now, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Colin Daly imposed a sentence of two years, with half of it suspended.

Defence barrister Donal O’Sullivan said, “In relation to the distribution charge, to be fair to him, without his admissions it would have been difficult for the prosecution to prove that charge.

“He explained he was getting images and, to get them, he had to engage in a circular process and he was uploading other images. But there is no suggestion of production of images.”

“It is almost three years later since this occurred. He has lost his marriage.

“It is his own fault. He has paid a heavy penalty for it.”

The accused wiped away tears as he was sentenced.

Judge Daly said of the accused, who later moved to Ballynabointra, Carrigtwohill, County Cork, “He has pleaded guilty, he lost his wife and children, he is suffering ill-health, he has attended for psychological treatment.

“He is assessed at low to mid-risk. He has shown genuine remorse.”