Latest news with #OneinFour
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Sunday World
Suspended sentence for Dubliner caught with over 900 child sex abuse images
Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said, 'unfortunately, this is a well-trodden crime in these courts' A man found in possession of over 900 images of child sexual abuse material told gardai it became a challenge to access this material. Joseph Doyle (68) of Vesey Mews, Monkstown, Co. Dublin pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material, known in law as child pornography, on May 27, 2019. He was handed a two-year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the Garda Online Child Exploitation Unit were notified by international colleagues about a particular IP address linked to Doyle's address. Doyle was present when gardai searched his home. He was co-operative, made admissions after caution to gardai and provided usernames and passwords. Two laptops, two external hard drives and a desktop PC were among the devices seized by gardai. An investigating garda told Caroline Latham BL, prosecuting, that 954 images of child sexual abuse material were found on two devices – a laptop and a PC. The court heard that 220 of the 954 images were in the most serious category of a child sexual nature. 580 images were categorised as child exposure, and 216 were of child anime. Doyle was arrested by arrangement. During interview, he told gardai that he had an issue with pornography, as well as problems with drugs and drink. He described having an 'inquisitive nature' and said it became a 'challenge' as it was very difficult to access this type of material. Doyle said he was shocked when they arrived but felt some relief and apologised. He has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since. The garda agreed with Justin McQuaid BL, defending, that his client was co-operative, entered an early guilty plea, and expressed remorse during interview. The garda agreed that it had been almost six years between the date of the offence and the sentence hearing. It was also accepted that there is no suggestion of distribution or sharing of the material. Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said, 'unfortunately, this is a well-trodden crime in these courts'. He noted the evidence was that the defendant 'expanded quite a lot of energy to get these images' and that 'thankfully', it is 'not easy to acquire' with the defendant having to 'expand time and energy' to access the material. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court News in 90 Seconds - May 26th 2025 Judge Nolan noted the precedents of the Court of Appeal, which indicate that a non-custodial sentence should be considered in the absence of aggravating factors including distribution. The court heard Doyle is retired and has a long work history. Letters from Doyle, One in Four and a testimonial were handed to the court. Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account his client's admissions, co-operation, and efforts towards rehabilitation. He suggested that his client had 'perfect mitigation,' and his letter demonstrated his remorse, insight and personal responsibility for his wrongdoing. Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account the public odium associated with this offence, the time taken for the case to come to court and that his client will be on the sex offenders' register.
Irish Examiner
22-05-2025
- Irish Examiner
Man tells court it became a 'challenge' to access 900 images of child sexual abuse
A man found in possession of over 900 images of child sexual abuse material told gardaí it became a challenge to access this material. Joseph Doyle, aged 68, of Vesey Mews, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material, known in law as child pornography, on May 27, 2019. He was handed a two-year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions on Thursday. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the Garda Online Child Exploitation Unit were notified by international colleagues about a particular IP address linked to Doyle's address. Doyle was present when gardaí searched his home. He was co-operative, made admissions after caution to gardaí and provided usernames and passwords. Two laptops, two external hard drives and a desktop PC were among the devices seized by gardaí. An investigating garda told Caroline Latham BL, prosecuting, that 954 images of child sexual abuse material were found on two devices – a laptop and a PC. The court heard that 220 of the 954 images were in the most serious category of a child sexual nature. 580 images were categorised as child exposure, and 216 were of child anime. Doyle was arrested by arrangement. During interview, he told gardaí that he had an issue with pornography, as well as problems with drugs and drink. He described having an 'inquisitive nature' and said it became a 'challenge' as it was very difficult to access this type of material. Doyle said he was shocked when they arrived but felt some relief and apologised. He has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since. The garda agreed with Justin McQuaid BL, defending, that his client was co-operative, entered an early guilty plea, and expressed remorse during interview. The garda agreed that it had been almost six years between the date of the offence and the sentence hearing. It was also accepted that there is no suggestion of distribution or sharing of the material. Sentencing Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said: 'Unfortunately, this is a well-trodden crime in these courts'. He noted the evidence was that the defendant 'expended quite a lot of energy to get these images' and that 'thankfully', it is 'not easy to acquire' with the defendant having to 'expend time and energy' to access the material. Judge Nolan noted the precedents of the Court of Appeal, which indicate that a non-custodial sentence should be considered in the absence of aggravating factors, including distribution. The court heard Doyle is retired and has a long work history. Letters from Doyle, One in Four and a testimonial were handed to the court. Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account his client's admissions, co-operation, and efforts towards rehabilitation. He suggested that his client had 'perfect mitigation,' and his letter demonstrated his remorse, insight and personal responsibility for his wrongdoing. Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account the public odium associated with this offence, the time taken for the case to come to court and that his client will be on the sex offenders' register.
Irish Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Irish Daily Mirror
Suspended sentence for man with more than 900 images of child sex abuse material
A man found in possession of over 900 images of child sexual abuse material told gardai it became a challenge to access this material. Joseph Doyle (68) of Vesey Mews, Monkstown, Co. Dublin pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material, known in law as child pornography, on May 27, 2019. He was handed a two-year sentence, suspended in full on strict conditions today. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the Garda Online Child Exploitation Unit were notified by international colleagues about a particular IP address linked to Doyle's address. Doyle was present when gardai searched his home. He was co-operative, made admissions after caution to gardai and provided usernames and passwords. Two laptops, two external hard drives and a desktop PC were among the devices seized by gardai. An investigating garda told Caroline Latham BL, prosecuting, that 954 images of child sexual abuse material were found on two devices – a laptop and a PC. The court heard that 220 of the 954 images were in the most serious category of a child sexual nature. 580 images were categorised as child exposure, and 216 were of child anime. Doyle was arrested by arrangement. During interview, he told gardai that he had an issue with pornography, as well as problems with drugs and drink. He described having an "inquisitive nature" and said it became a "challenge" as it was very difficult to access this type of material. Doyle said he was shocked when they arrived but felt some relief and apologised. He has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since. The garda agreed with Justin McQuaid BL, defending, that his client was co-operative, entered an early guilty plea, and expressed remorse during interview. The garda agreed that it had been almost six years between the date of the offence and the sentence hearing. It was also accepted that there is no suggestion of distribution or sharing of the material. Imposing sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said, "unfortunately, this is a well-trodden crime in these courts". He noted the evidence was that the defendant "expanded quite a lot of energy to get these images" and that "thankfully", it is "not easy to acquire" with the defendant having to "expand time and energy" to access the material. Judge Nolan noted the precedents of the Court of Appeal, which indicate that a non-custodial sentence should be considered in the absence of aggravating factors including distribution. The court heard Doyle is retired and has a long work history. Letters from Doyle, One in Four and a testimonial were handed to the court. Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account his client's admissions, co-operation, and efforts towards rehabilitation. He suggested that his client had "perfect mitigation," and his letter demonstrated his remorse, insight and personal responsibility for his wrongdoing. Mr McQuaid asked the court to take into account the public odium associated with this offence, the time taken for the case to come to court and that his client will be on the sex offenders' register.
Irish Examiner
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Scaling Ireland's highest peaks in aid of charity supporting adult survivors of child sexual abuse
Kerryman Jack Fitzgerald is training to climb seven of Ireland's highest peaks in seven days. The 28-year-old fitness coach is starting on May 25 to raise funds for One in Four, a charity that supports adult survivors of child sexual abuse. Fitzgerald is one of those survivors. Between the ages of five and 10, he was sexually abused. Two and a half years ago, on his Instagram profile, he wrote about how the abuse had shaped his life. 'That was the very first time I said it openly. Even a lot of my friends found out that way,' he says. By posting publicly, he wanted to talk about what happened to him without having to have the upsetting conversation time and time again. This open disclosure came after two years in therapy at One in Four. 'The training they get and the support they can offer is different from going to a regular counsellor, who has much more general training. 'It's such a delicate subject, it needs so much understanding, and time and care. The team at One in Four really understand that.' It took Fitzgerald six months in counselling to feel secure enough to talk about what had happened to him. 'My counsellor was so patient with me. And once I was able to access what had happened, and we broke through the defences I'd put up, the door opened. But then, you open that first door, and there are 70 other doors behind it, and then they open, which can feel overwhelming, but you have to work through it. Unfortunately, you don't have a choice.' Jack Fitzgerald plans to climb the seven highest mountains in Ireland over seven days in aid of the charity, One in Four. Picture: Moya Nolan He hadn't realised how deeply his childhood trauma was affecting him until he had counselling. 'Looking back now, the way I lived, how I viewed the world, how I viewed myself, and my lack of trust in people, all stemmed from that time. I didn't realise that until afterwards. 'I've always felt this massive disconnect from people, like my childhood best friends, who were still my childhood best friends, but in the last two or three years, for the first time, I'm fully there when I'm with them. I feel I can fully let people in to my life.' Before seeking help at One in Four, he had been in and out of counselling, including inpatient care at psychiatric hospitals, since he first tried to take his own life, at age 16. He made two further attempts and had engaged in self-harm since he was nine; the incidents of self-harm became increasingly aggressive. 'When you experience something like child sex abuse, you're conditioned by the grooming, by society, by everything, to believe that the only way to stay safe from it is to keep it buried. 'So I thought, 'If I don't speak about it, then the trauma doesn't come in to my teenage years, it doesn't come in to my 20s, it doesn't come in to my 30s, when the reality was it was in every facet of my life. 'I didn't realise at the time, because when you're living through this, it's your normal.' Fitzgerald first became aware of One in Four at age 24. A friend had witnessed him experiencing a flashback—his jaw locked, and his back and shoulders tensed dramatically. 'He knew there was something very wrong and had his suspicions about what happened to me. He showed me the One in Four website and encouraged me to contact them. 'I was really struggling. And I was at the point where I thought, 'I actually don't think I'm going to make it much longer'. I was in this cycle of super, super highs and super, super lows. "I was doing everything to run from it. I thought, 'I'm not going to make it very far if I don't do something'. I either reach out to One in Four, or I don't and probably will end up taking my own life.' Jack Fitzgerald: "'I was really struggling. And I was at the point where I thought, 'I actually don't think I'm going to make it much longer'. I was in this cycle of super, super highs and super, super lows." Picture: Moya Nolan Calling One in Four that day was when he began to deal with the trauma. After two years in counselling, where he finally confronted his past, he was ready to move on to the next phase of his life. Fitzgerald has long been in to fitness. 'I was always running and playing football. I was very active.' Now a fitness coach and personal trainer, he says he 'loves being outside and getting that positive energy that comes with hiking and swimming outdoors. 'I used to look at people who had come through [a difficult time], and then go and do something like running an ultra marathon and think, 'You're mad', but I get it now. I'm so grateful to have this strong body, and I want to celebrate it while helping other people at the same time.' As part of his seven peaks challenge, he will climb Caherconree in Co Kerry. This is symbolic for Fitzgerald, who used to look at that peak as a child. He'll also climb Mount Brandon, Mangerton, Galtee Mor, Mullaghcleevaun, Lugnaquilla, and end with Carrauntoohil. He will be joined on his climbs by friends, family, and his gym community from Naas, Kildare, where he lives. 'I feel very supported by my family, friends, my partner, and my community. It's been amazing. But I know that not everyone has that. I've been asking people who aren't survivors to get involved, because, in many cases, survivors may not feel comfortable talking to people about their experiences, but seeing so many people doing this challenge with me, it might help them to see that people care.' See If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please see for a list of support services
Irish Examiner
05-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
ISPCC calls for national strategy to fight child sex abuse and exploitation
The ISPCC is calling on the government to develop a national strategy for child sexual abuse, child sexual exploitation and online risks to child safety, following a 'seminal' week in relation to child safety. The organisation's head of policy and public affairs, Fiona Jennings, said the One in Four report launched last Thursday, the PrimeTime investigation into the Christian Brothers aired on Thursday night and the recent publication of the Grace report highlight the need for such a strategy, as recommended in a report from the Garda Siochana Inspectorate in 2017. The Irish Attitudes to Tackling Child Sexual Abuse launched by One in Four on Thursday found that 40% of people know someone who was sexually abused as a child, while more than 90% of respondents believe society had failed to address child sexual abuse. 'Is this the moment that we will finally see this acted upon? This research (in the One in Four report) speaks to the need for a whole-of-society approach, it speaks to the need for one for not just child sexual exploitation offline but it also speaks to the online element as well. "Eight years later, we still don't have this recommendation in place, and we don't have to stray too far just to see how vulnerable victims and survivors of child sexual abuse have been treated,' said Ms Jennings. She said a national strategy would bring together all the different agencies and individuals who have expertise in different areas relating to child sexual abuse. She also said there is a need for an audit of Ireland's laws and guidelines in the area to 'ensure that our laws and policies are fit for purpose'. She added: 'I firmly believe that child sexual abuse is the last taboo that Ireland needs to tackle in a meaningful way. We have tackled divorce, we have tackled marriage equality, we have tackled reproductive rights. Now is the time that we need to tackle child sexual abuse. "If Thursday's report was not that seminal turning point, then I really worry as to what we actually do need.' The One in Four report was published on the same day as the PrimeTime documentary on the Christian Brothers, which revealed that two members who were senior leaders of the order over the space of two decades and managed the congregation's assets are now convicted child sexual abusers. Last Tuesday, the general solicitor for minors and wards of court, Marie-Claire Butler, claimed none of the "extensive" submissions made on behalf of the woman known as Grace were included "in any way" in the final report of the Farrelly Commission. The commission was tasked with examining allegations of abuse and severe neglect while she was in a foster home in the southeast over a 20-year period. While it found that Grace, who is now in her 40s and who is severely intellectually disabled, had been neglected and there was a lack of oversight for her care, the commission was not satisfied the evidence established she had been subjected to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Citing the One in Four report, the Christian Brothers documentary and the Grace report, Ms Jennings said: 'What do we actually need to do in order to get our policy makers to act?' The ISPCC will now be contacting the government to seek the implementation of such a strategy." She added: 'It is something that should be coordinated from the Department of the Taoiseach.'
