Retired Wicklow man admits to having child sexual abuse images and Kik account
The Wicklow PeopleA retired man from Co Wicklow has avoided jail after admitting to possessing child sexual abuse material found on his mobile phone.
Clyde Wynne (70), with an address in Bridgewater, Arklow, pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.
Detective Garda Stephanie Hallahan testified that on September 3, 2022, gardaí received information from the Missing Kids Centre regarding a Kik account. Kik is a free instant messaging app that allows users to chat anonymously using usernames instead of phone numbers.
The account linked to Mr Wynne had been used for communication involving prepubescent minors.
A search warrant was executed at Mr Wynne’s home in September 2022, where gardaí seized an iPhone and a Lenovo laptop. The phone was examined, while nothing incriminating was found on the laptop.
Forensic analysis uncovered 21 images deemed to be child sexual abuse material. A further 10 Kik chat conversations were found involving girls under the age of 18.
Mr Wynne was arrested at his home in Arklow in May 2024 and interviewed, during which he admitted owning the phone. He told gardaí he “couldn’t recall the images”. He gave officers his PIN number and made admissions to using the Kik app.
Counsel for the defence, Edmund Sweetman BL, instructed by Paraic Hyland Solicitors, told the court that in cases involving child sexual abuse material, there are usually thousands of images. He said: “I’m not suggesting they aren’t serious, but it is a relatively small amount.” Det Gda Hallahan agreed.
Mr Sweetman informed the court that before his arrest, his client had been an upstanding member of society, having worked at Wire Ropes in Wicklow town before his retirement.
A probation report presented to the court stated that Mr Wynne was at an extremely low risk of reoffending, while a medical report indicated that he suffers from bouts of memory loss.
Mr Sweetman told the court that his client has to live with the shame that is associated with the type of offending he committed and the fact that he will have to be on the sexual register.
When sentencing, Judge Patrick Quinn noted Mr Wynne’s age and low risk of reoffending. He handed down a sentence of 18 months’ imprisonment, fully suspended for 18 months.