2000 + child abuse images found on his computer.
A 45-year old man, who had more than 2,000 child abuse images on his computer was sentenced at Downpatrick Crown Court on Wednesday 15th May.
Steven Smillie pleaded guilty to 18 charges of making and possessing indecent images of children.
He was sentenced to 2 years imprisonment, to serve 12 months in custody and 12 months on licence. He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for a total of 10 years.
Detective Sergeant Laura McPhillips of the PSNI’s Child Internet Protection Team said: “Following a lengthy and protracted investigation Smillie was brought before the courts and pleaded guilty to 18 charges of making and possessing indecent images of children, a large proportion of which included items in the most serious category.
“Children should be able to live their lives in total innocence, without a care in the world. However, there are people who choose to exploit and expose children to their dark, depraved underworld.
“Detective Sergeant McPhillips continued: “My message today is clear, my officers will not cease in their endeavour to catch those who exploit the most vulnerable in our society. This conviction should serve as a warning to those who think their own activity will go unnoticed or unpunished. Everyone leaves a digital footprint when downloading, viewing or making indecent images of children.
“We will be relentless in our pursuit of offenders and when we catch them the repercussions will be far reaching.”
