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A former taxi driver living in Kerry has been jailed for one year for possession of child pornography.
60-year-old Donal Kelly, formerly of Seagrange Avenue, Baldoyle, Dublin and more recently of Killaha East, Kenmare, Co Kerry was before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.
The court heard Donal Kelly was caught with 120 videos and 303 images of children and infants being raped and sexual abused.
He’d pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of child pornography at his home address in Dublin on September 3rd 2021.
The 60-year-old has no previous convictions, is a divorced man who’s raised a family, and is now living in Killaha East, Kenmare.
The court heard he attempted to explain he continued watching the material because he was of the view it showed a loving interaction between the children and their abusers.
Judge Elma Sheahan said this showed Mr Kelly had limited insight into his offending.
She noted he’s since engaged in therapy and has made significant progress since he started seeing a psychologist; she noted he admitted his guilt and co-operated with gardaí.
The judge said there were a number of aggravating factors in the case, including the depravity of the child abuse material, which she described as grotesque and offensive.
She handed down a sentence of 18 months, with the final six months suspended.
Donal Kelly has lost his taxi licence and will be placed on the sex offender's register.
