Conor Emmet jailed for possessing child pornography

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Conor Emmet was sentenced to two and a half years in prison, with the final 15 months suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 11 May 2018. Judge Karen O’Connor imposed the sentence.

Emmet pleaded guilty to possessing digital images and movies on two laptops at his home on 17 May 2016. He had no previous convictions. The proceedings were reported on 11 May 2018.

Gardaí found 5,919 images and 328 video files on two laptops and a phone belonging to Emmet. Gardaí had raided his home in May 2016 after an intelligence operation involving the FBI and Europol. He admitted during the search that he had accessed child pornography.

Detective Garda Brid Wallace said the material included videos showing the rape and torture of an 18-month-old girl. She said the child suffered serious internal damage. The court heard that the girl had been identified in Thailand and taken to safety.

Judge O’Connor said the offence must be taken very seriously, while noting Emmet’s early plea, charity work and intensive rehabilitation. Tara Burns SC, defending, said he had done great work to overcome what she described as a sickness.