By Sonya McLean
A man who sent and exchanged 13 videos of child abuse material has been given a suspended sentence.
Cezary Halicki (22) of Bremore Pastures Crescent, Hamlet Lane, Balbriggan, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to both possession and distribution of child pornography at his home in April and December 2022.
He has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since.
Garda Stephen Murphy told John Quirke, BL, prosecuting, that in May 2022, gardaí were alerted by the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children in the US to a suspicious video that had been exchanged the previous month.
Further investigation of the information provided by the US authorities led to the tracing of an IP address to Halicki’s home, and a warrant was secured to search it the following December.
Gda Murphy said a laptop and three mobile phones were seized during the search.
Analysis led to the discovery of 16 videos described in court as depicting children aged between 10 and 14 years old engaged in various sexual activities.
The gardaí also found messages from Halicki to another user stating, “I need younger—like 17 max.” They forwarded him further images.
Gda Murphy told Mr Quirke that 12 of the videos found on Halicki’s phone were forwarded to other people on four different occasions.
Halicki told gardaí in interview that it was “not a victimless crime” and that there are clearly people in the video.
He said he would like to apologise.
He said he realised the wrong he had done not only receiving the material but also sending it on.
Gda Murphy accepted in cross-examination from defence counsel that Halicki has not come to any garda attention since and agreed that officers often call to his home to check in on him.
A psychological report was handed into the court, which concluded that Halicki is not attracted to children in any way.
The defence counsel submitted that his client was young and stupid at the time.
He asked the court to accept that Halicki now realises the significance of what he had done, and both he and his parents are repulsed by his behaviour.
“He is utterly embarrassed and ashamed,” Counsel told the court.
Judge Martin Nolan said this defendant has come before this court on a signed plea.
He said he has no previous convictions, he is reasonably educated, and he is unlikely to reoffend again. Judge Nolan said he would take these as the mitigating factors in this case.
He also noted the positive reports that were handed into the court.
The judge acknowledged that Halicki was very young when he committed this offence and said he “knows that young people can do very stupid things.”
Judge Nolan said, “Does this young man deserve to go to prison for his behaviour back in 2022? The distribution does give me pause for thought”.
He sentenced him to two years in prison but suspended it in full for two years.
He also placed Halicki under the supervision of the probation services for one year and directed that he carry out all instructions outlined by them.
Halicki will also be placed on the sex offenders register.