*Photograph: John Mangan

A 45 year old โ€˜family manโ€™ has walked free from court after receiving a suspended sixteen month prison term for the possession of child pornography.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed the suspended 16 month prison term on Liam Kelly of Clonadrum, Mullagh.

Judge Comerford said that one of the factors in imposing a suspended prison term is that Mr Kelly has already been punished for the offence.

Judge Comerford commented that there have already been quite properly major adverse consequences for Mr Kellyโ€™s life for these offences.

The court was told that in May 2018 Spanish police intervened and met Mr Kelly after being alerted that he said online that he had a sexual interest in young girls and was going to โ€˜tryโ€™ a ten-year old girl while on holiday in Spain.

Judge Comerford said that “there is no evidence that the child in Spain on holidays was put at risk but talking in those terms is revoltingโ€.

Counsel for Mr Kelly, Sophie Pigot BL (instructed by solicitor John Casey) told the court that since the case was reported, Mr Kelly has lost his job at the medical device manufacturing firm he worked at for eleven years.

Ms Pigot contended that punishment for Mr Kelly, even with a suspended sentence, โ€œis hugeโ€.

She said, โ€œHe has lost members of his family, friends, neighbours, and probably the trust of the entire communityโ€.

Ms Pigot said that the consequences of Mr Kellyโ€™s offending has had a โ€œdevastating on him and his familyโ€.

Ms Pigot said that Mr Kelly canโ€™t attend his childrenโ€™s football matches or he canโ€™t bring them to school.

Ms Pigot said that a report handed into court on Mr Kelly shows that his offending has negatively affected his family.

Ms Pigot said, โ€œHis wife was obviously disgusted and absolutely shocked and angry when she discovered his offending behaviour and that has affected their relationshipโ€.

Ms Pigot said that the expert report concludes that Mr Kelly is at a low risk of re-offending and is remorseful.

She said that Mr Kelly โ€œinitially denied any sexual interest in children but during the course of the assessment he did admit a sexual preference for children and he does show a strong insight nowโ€.

Ms Pigot added, โ€œMr Kelly indicated disgust at himself and he intends to work through therapy to address these factorsโ€.

Ms Pigot said that the report does show that Mr Kelly โ€œdemonstrated insight into how harmful the production of child pornography is on the victims involvedโ€.

Ms Pigot said that the images and quantity do come at the lower end of offending.

An Applied Physics and Electronics graduate, Mr Kelly pleaded guilty to the possession of three child pornography still images and one video at his West Clare home in May 2018 following an analysis of his phone.

Sgt Claire Haugh of Ennis Garda Station said the images included individual naked females, aged two to three, aged from three to four and aged five.

Sgt Haugh said a video showed a nine to ten year old girl “removing her underwear in a provocative mannerโ€.

Sgt Haugh said that Mr Kelly had stated in a 2018 online chat that he was sexually interested in girls aged from eight to thirteen.

Sgt Haugh said that Mr Kelly told Gardaรญ that he was on such platforms โ€œwith a view to outing paedophilesโ€.

However, Judge Comerford dismissed this explanation by Mr Kelly as โ€œuntenableโ€.

Ms Pigot asked Judge Comerford to take into account Mr Kellyโ€™s guilty plea, that he is a first time offender, hasnโ€™t come to Garda notice since and has engaged in therapies aimed at addressing his past behaviour.

She said that Mr Kelly didn’t distribute the images and did not have them for financial gain.

Judge Comerford said that Mr Kellyโ€™s engagement with third parties was an aggravating factor in the case.

Counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly SC (instructed by State Solicitor, Aisling Casey) said that a Garda analysis of a laptop at Mr Kelly home didnโ€™t yield any child-pornography images “but showed the user involved in various chatrooms that were indicative of a sexual interest in childrenโ€.

Mr Connolly said that in one online chat, there was evidence of 32 users online simultaneously and Mr Kelly had different private chats with people with various handles with a sexual interest in children.

Sgt Haugh agreed with Mr Connolly that the private chats Mr Kelly under his handle had were โ€œindicative of sharing thoughts and views and encouraging an interest in paedophiliaโ€.

Judge Comerford said that the process of rehabilitation is better served if an immediate custodial sentence is not imposed. Judge Comerford said a condition of the suspended sentence is that Mr Kelly continue to engage with the therapeutic services.

Related News

kilrush town centre
Mother of boy (16) charged with Kilrush stabbing now facing two charges from same incident
meals on wheels 09-04-20 12
'Regulation gone mad' - no urgency to solve removal of North & West Clare schools from hot meals scheme
health meeting 13-10-25 1
Mid-West Oireachtas members back three-tier hospital expansion plan for region
st tolas national school playground 1
Playground lit up at St Tola's NS with addition of new facility
Latest News
meals on wheels 09-04-20 12
'Regulation gone mad' - no urgency to solve removal of North & West Clare schools from hot meals scheme
health meeting 13-10-25 1
Mid-West Oireachtas members back three-tier hospital expansion plan for region
kilmihil v banner ladies 05-10-25 timmy ryan 1
Kilmihil determined to push on in Munster following county success
gearoid curtin 1
Final loss to ร‰ire ร“g 'stood to Liscannor' - Curtin
รฉire รณg v doora barefield 12-10-25 aaron fitzgerald 1
ร‰ire ร“g win historic senior double
Premium
Final loss to ร‰ire ร“g 'stood to Liscannor' - Curtin
ร‰ire ร“g win historic senior double
Corofin crowned intermediate champions for fifth time
Mills clocking up the hard yards in run to Clare PIHC final
'Managing ten times more stressful than playing' says Daly as he bids to guide Cooraclare back to top tier

Advertisement

Subscribe for just โ‚ฌ3 per month

If youโ€™re here, you care about County Clare. So do we. Did you rely on us for Covid-19 updates, follow our election coverage, or visit The Clare Echo every week for breaking news and sport? The Clare Echo invests in local journalism and we want to safeguard its future in our county. By becoming a subscriber you are supporting what we do, will receive access to all our premium articles and a better experience, while helping us improve our offering to you. Subscribe to clareecho.ie and get the first six months for just โ‚ฌ3 a month (less than 75c per week), and thereafter โ‚ฌ8 per month. Cancel anytime, limited time offer. T&Cs Apply. www.clareecho.ie.