Schoolboy admits distributing child abuse videos on phone

Tom Tuite

A 15-year-old Dublin boy has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child abuse videos on his mobile phone.

The schoolboy is charged with two offences under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.

He has been accused of knowingly possessing eight videos on his iPhone and distributing them on a date in January when he was 14.

He appeared again at the Dublin Children's Court and was accompanied to the proceedings by his parents. Disclosure of prosecution evidence had been ordered at a previous stage.

Cecilia Ní Choileáin BL, defending, informed Judge Brendan Toale that the boy, who is on bail, was pleading guilty to the charge.

Judge Toale referred the teenager to the Probation Service for a pre-sentence report to be furnished when the case resumes in November.

During an earlier hearing, Garda Ronan O'Brien said the boy made no reply when recently charged "in plain and simple language".

The case had been referred to the Garda Juvenile Diversion Programme, and a file was later submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The DPP authorised gardaí to charge the boy and recommended summary disposal in the Children's Court rather than sending the case to the Circuit Court, which has wider sentencing powers.

Outlining the allegations in a ruling to confirm the boy's trial venue, the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau officer said the case followed an "intelligence-led operation".

He told the court it led to a warrant to search the boy's home, where his phone was recovered.

It was analysed, and the officer claimed it had eight child pornographic videos.

Judge Shalom Binchy, who decided on the trial venue issue, concurred with the DPP and accepted jurisdiction for the case to remain in the Children's Court.

The boy, who cannot be identified because of his age, was not required to give evidence at this stage.