Gary McLaughlin (49) from Downpatrick, was jailed for 15 months at Downpatrick Crown Court earlier this week for distributing and possessing indecent images of children being sexually abused.
He pleaded guilty to a total of 28 charges. They included possessing over 1,400 indecent images and videos of boys aged from five to 15 years old, some of which were distributed to others.
A spokesperson for the NSPCC Northern Ireland said: “This sickening haul of indecent images will contain countless victims of child sexual abuse, and by downloading and distributing them McLaughlin has fuelled an industry that thrives on pain and suffering.
“The children in this material are victims of appalling crimes. It is vital that offenders like McLaughlin are brought to justice, but the NSPCC is campaigning for more to be done to prevent anyone sourcing and sharing this vile material, and for web providers to do more to remove it from their platforms.”
Children can contact Childline 24/7 on 0800 1111. Adults concerned about the wellbeing of a child can phone the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 8005000 or email : [email protected].
