Courts / Dublin / Report
Offender downloaded over 4.5k images and videos of child abuse over eight-day period
Summary
An offender who downloaded over 4,500 images and videos of child sexual abuse over an eight-day period before surrendering himself to gardaí has been jailed for 18 months. Aaron Catchpole, 32, admitted to contacting young girls on Instagram and requesting nude pictures. He pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography in September 2020 and has seven previous convictions, including drug possession. His former partner reportedly threatened him with losing contact with his child if he did not confess. Catchpole handed himself into gardaí and admitted to viewing the material. His phone was seized, revealing 4,483 images and 32 videos of child abuse, including infants as young as six months. The court noted that Catchpole had only owned the phone for eight days. A Probation Service report indicated a high risk of re-offending but noted his remorse. Judge Martin Nolan suspended the final year of his sentence on conditions, including probation supervision. Catchpole has a history of drug addiction but has been in custody since last October and is making progress.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Offender downloaded over 4.5k images and videos of child abuse over eight-day period. Charges or matters: one count of possessing child pornography – otherwise known as child sexual abuse material – on September 17, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 17, 2020 Incident
- 2026-05-11 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of possessing child pornography – otherwise known as child sexual abuse material – on September 17, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He handed down a sentence of two and a half years but suspended the final year on a number of conditions, including that Catchpole remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for a year upon his release.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Frenchmans Lane
- Dublin
- walked into Pearse Street Garda Station
- Pearse Street
Topics
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