COLIN ASHMAN FLED BRISTOL AND CO CORK: FEARS GROW AS CONVICTED CHILD PORNOGRAPHER VANISHES

In August 2004, authorities expressed serious concerns that Colin Ashman, a convicted child pornography offender, may have absconded from Ireland and potentially traveled to the European continent. The fears stem from the fact that Ashman, who was previously residing in North Cork, had gone missing from his home in Rockchapel, despite being under strict supervision as a registered sex offender.

Gardai, the Irish police force, now suspect that Ashman might have left Ireland altogether, possibly heading towards the continent, with the knowledge that British police would be prompted to assist in locating him due to his British origins. It is believed that Ashman, who was born in Britain and has been living in Ireland since 1994, could have taken advantage of his knowledge of the system, especially considering his previous attempts to alter his appearance during court proceedings over the past three years in Cork.

Authorities are working closely with British law enforcement agencies to track down Ashman, who is currently in breach of the conditions set by the Sex Offenders Register. Despite their efforts, Gardai have confirmed that they have no concrete information about his current whereabouts. They have indicated that Ashman has not been seen in the local area for some time, and efforts to locate him at his residence in North Cork, specifically in Rockchapel, have been unsuccessful. Locals in the area have reported that they have not seen him for a considerable period.

Prior to his disappearance, Ashman had been briefly based in Tralee, where he was known to have a German-born girlfriend. His criminal record includes a conviction earlier that summer, when he received a two-year suspended prison sentence for possessing approximately 2,300 child pornographic images at his home three years earlier. This sentence was handed down after a court hearing that revealed the extent of his illegal activities.

During the court proceedings, Ashman, who is a father of two children now living with their mother in England, displayed provocative behavior, sticking out his tongue and wiggling his bottom at the media as he left the courtroom. The court heard that his troubled childhood and a recent breakup had contributed to his emotional distress, which led him to download the illicit images. Judge Patrick Moran acknowledged Ashman’s efforts to rebuild his life in a quiet North Cork community, noting that he had paid for his own psychiatric treatment despite being unemployed.

Born in Britain, Ashman has been residing in Ireland for over a decade. His initial guilty plea in November 2002 was related to possessing explicit images of children, which he downloaded from the internet. The images ranged in age from five to twelve years old, depicting them in explicit sexual poses, with some images showing children engaged in sexual acts with adults aged between 10 and 12 years.

In June 2004, Ashman was again in the spotlight when he was caught at his home in Cork with thousands of abusive images of children. He was sentenced to two years in prison, suspended, after it was argued that he had undergone psychiatric counseling and was no longer considered a risk to the community. His defense lawyer, Donal O’Sullivan, highlighted that Ashman had voluntarily undergone approximately 15 months of counseling at his own expense, and a psychiatrist had assessed him as unlikely to re-offend.

Judge Moran detailed the severity of Ashman’s possession, stating that he had 2,343 images of children aged 10 to 12, many of which were sexually provocative, with some depicting children in sexual acts. The judge emphasized the horrific impact such images could have on the victims and condemned Ashman’s involvement in the distribution and promotion of such material. Despite this, considering his good character, early guilty plea, and psychiatric treatment, the judge decided to suspend the two-year sentence, placing Ashman on the sex offenders register for five years and requiring him to attend counseling sessions for an additional year.

Garda Bill Brosnan, who provided evidence in the case, described the contents of the computer involved, which contained 2,343 images of child pornography, mostly of naked female children. Initially, Ashman had denied ownership of the computer but later admitted responsibility for the illegal material found on its hard drive. The case underscores the ongoing concern about Ashman’s whereabouts and the potential risk he poses, especially given his breach of legal controls and the possibility that he may have fled to avoid further prosecution or monitoring.