Courts / Dublin / Report

IT expert avoids jail for trawling Darknet for child porn

Summary

Richard Coghlan, a 37‑year‑old IT expert, was found to have downloaded 325 images of child pornography from the Darknet and other sites. After losing his job and spending nights on these sites, he voluntarily turned himself in and admitted the images were on his computers. Gardaí traced an IP address linked to Coghlan, seized his laptops, and after five years of forensic analysis he pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The images were classified into three seriousness categories, with 52 in the lowest, 175 in the second lowest, and 98 in the second highest. Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Coghlan to two and a half years' imprisonment, which was fully suspended on strict conditions. The judge noted the relatively low number of images and Coghlan's lack of prior convictions, and highlighted that Coghlan had not re‑offended in the seven years since his arrest.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: IT expert avoids jail for trawling Darknet for child porn. Charges or matters: possession of 325 images on his computers on September 21, 2010. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• August 2010 Hearing Or Sentence
• September 21, 2010 Incident
• 2017-03-28 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

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Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report