Irish citizen sentenced for child porn possession in New Jersey

On Behalf of | Oct 11, 2012 | Sex Crimes |

The consequences of a conviction for a sex-related crime can last long after any prison time is served. For an Irish citizen convicted of possession of child pornography, a visit to New Jersey resulted in a sentence of 100 months in prison with an additional 10 years of supervised release.

The 29-year-old man was stopped by authorities at Newark Liberty International Airport on Sept. 7, 2010, and questioned about the contents of his baggage. When asked if he carried anything of concern, the man allegedly exhibited signs of nervousness, which led authorities to search his belongings. During that search, an external hard drive allegedly containing 600 child pornography images was found.

Police did not happen upon the man by accident. He had allegedly spent time before his visit communicating with children on social media sites. The mother of one of his contacts grew suspicious of her child’s activities and reported him to the police, setting the stage for FBI monitoring that eventually led to the man’s placement on a watch list.

Instead of going to trial, the man agreed to a plea bargain, resulting in the 100-month prison sentence handed down this month. In addition to prison and probation time, he will also be named a sexual offender.

Convictions for any sex-related crime can lead to years in prison. In addition, the sex offender label is typically applied for a lifetime, damaging one’s reputation long after prison release or the end of probation. The stigma related to such a label can interfere with everything from finding a job to securing a home.

Source: Irish Central, “Irishman sentenced to 100 months in prison for possession of ‘sadistic’ child porn in New Jersey,” Kerry O’Shea, Sept. 28, 2012

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