Courts / Dublin / Report
Father-of-four avoids jail over accessing child porn on Kik Messenger
Summary
Brian Manning, a 52‑year‑old Dublin father of four, pleaded guilty on 15 March 2017 to possessing 37 images and one video of child pornography accessed via the Kik Messenger instant‑messaging app. The images mainly showed pre‑teen girls in explicit sexual activity with adults. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to an 18‑month fully suspended term, with the headline sentence being two and a half years, and imposed a probation period under the Probation Service. Judge Cormac Quinn cited Manning's early guilty plea and remorse as mitigating factors, noting the case's media coverage had impacted his personal life and marriage. Gardaí were alerted by Canadian authorities, who identified a user "biman4377" distributing child pornography on Kik. Manning's Samsung S5 phone was seized, revealing the offending material. He cooperated fully, expressed regret, and acknowledged that he no longer used Kik or viewed child pornography.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Father-of-four avoids jail over accessing child porn on Kik Messenger. Charges or matters: a single count of possessing 37 images and one video classified as child pornography on March 15, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 15, 2017 Incident
- February 2017 Incident
- 2010 and 2014 Other
- 2018-05-17 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: a single count of possessing 37 images and one video classified as child pornography on March 15, 2017 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Manning was sentenced to 18 months fully suspended today on condition that he be supervised by the Probation Service for that period. Judge Cormac Quinn said the headline sentence for the offence was two and a half years, but he was taking into account mitigating factors including Manning's early guilty plea and his remorse.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Manning voluntarily attended Crumlin Garda Station
- Crumlin
Topics
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