Belfast man jailed over internet child porn

A Belfast father of three has today been jailed by the Crown Court for two-and-a-half years for downloading Internet child pornography.

Robert Steele, 25, from Tildarg Street pleaded guilty to downloading 275 pictures and 60 movie files and was ordered to remain on the police sex offenders register for the rest of his life.

During the sentencing, Judge Tom Burgess said that the images, which involved children of as young as three-years-old, were the most revolting and vile he had ever had to view.

He added that "photographs are bad enough" but the movies left no doubt of the "agony suffered by these children."

He said the screams of the children left no doubt as to the "levels of trauma and pain they had endured".

The court revealed that Steele had fully admitted to the crime when police examined his mobile phone and computer, and also admitted that he had become "addicted" to child pornography.

When sentencing the defendant, Judge Burgess said "without treatment this man could potentially pose a risk to children."

During the proceedings, it was stated that there was no evidence that Steele had abused his own children.

Robert Steele will serve a two-and-a-half year prison sentence and on his release has been ordered to undertake an extensive three-year programme supervised by the probation service.

(EF/SP)