Alleged IRA Spy Admits Porn Charges

A man widely referred to as the Army's notorious IRA agent 'Stakeknife' has admitted two counts of possessing extreme pronographic images.

Freddie Scappaticci appeared briefly at Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London to plead guilty to the charges on Wednesday 05 December.

Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot sentenced him to three months in custody, suspended for 12 months.

The court heard the charges were in relation to at least 329 images, none of which involved children.

The magistrate commented: "You have not been before the court for 50 years, and that's good character in my book."

The accused was convicted after material was seized as part of Operation Kenova, a probe into the activities surrounding the individual known as Stakeknife.

Chief Constable Jon Boutcher, who is leading the investigation, said: "This result is an indication that wherever criminal behaviour is identified during my investigation, evidence will be presented for the purposes of prosecution.

"Operation Kenova continues to recover evidence in relation to our core terms of reference and as and when it is appropriate to speak further, I will do so.

"I would encourage anyone who might be able to assist with this important inquiry to please contact my team via the details on the Kenova website, or by calling Crimestoppers."

Mr Scappaticci has always strongly denied claims that he is Stakeknife, who was a high-ranking military mole that reportedly led the republican organisation's so-called "nutting squad", an internal security unit that interrogated and murdered suspected spies during the Northern Ireland conflict.



(JG)