Sickening images found on local man’s laptop

Sickening images found on local man’s laptop

21 December 2016

A FORMER Downpatrick man who downloaded pornographic pictures of young children has escaped being sent to jail.

The sickening images included one of a baby being sexually abused, Downpatrick Crown Court heard on Friday.

Judge Piers Grant said that it was “with hesitation” that he sentenced 35 year-old Gareth Trainor, formerly of Downpatrick but now with an address at Hightown Road, Newtownabbey, to 100 hours of community service and two years on probation.

Trainor admitted nine charges of possessing an extreme pornographic image, which, the court was told, carried a maximum penalty of two years in jail.

He also admitted making an indecent photograph of a child, which carries a maximum sentence of ten years in jail.

The court how the pictures were found on computers seized during a search of Trainor’s former home in November 2014.

The images were laid out in a slideshow and included one of a baby who, the judge said, had been exposed to “outrageous and intolerable conduct.”

Trainor had initially denied the charges, but pleaded guilty when he appeared in court last month.

The judge said that after his arrest Trainor had used drugs and alcohol “as a means of coping with the fact that he had been caught.”

He told Trainor: “It is people like you who seek this material that results in children being treated in an appalling, brutal and absolutely disgusting manner. This was highly reprehensible and disgusting conduct on your part.”

Passing sentence, Judge Grant said he took into account Trainor’s previous clear record and pointed to a probation report which indicated he was “genuinely remorseful for what he did.”

The judge told Trainor he would be under the close supervision of the Probation Service.

“I must make it absolutely clear to you that if the authorities are not satisfied that you have adequately participated, you will be brought back to this court and it is inevitable that a significant custodial sentence will be imposed,” Judge Gran remarked.

The judge said it was inevitable that Trainor will not be allowed to work with children and vulnerable adults.

In addition to the sentence, Trainor will be on the Sex Offenders Register for five years.