GEORGEY MCDONNELL FROM WATERFOOT INVOLVED IN CHILD ABUSE IMAGE CASE AND ONLINE SEX OFFENSES

In December of 2011, authorities uncovered disturbing evidence involving Geoffrey McDonnell, a resident of Waterfoot, who was found to possess illicit images of children on his personal computer. The case revealed a complex and troubling online persona that McDonnell had crafted, which included posing as a 15-year-old lesbian girl to communicate with other young females on the internet.

According to court proceedings, McDonnell, aged 59, admitted to creating a fictitious identity named Shannon, ostensibly a teenage lesbian, as a means to engage with other girls online. He claimed that his intention was not sexual but rather to discuss concerns about sexuality with young girls. During the police raid on his Waterfoot residence in December of the previous year, McDonnell was quick to confess to his double life, acknowledging that he had been pretending to be Shannon to facilitate conversations with other minors.

It was also revealed that McDonnell had ceased using his computer two nights prior to the police visit, after receiving obscene images from a male sender, which reportedly frightened him and prompted him to stop his online activities. Despite this, authorities found nine indecent images of children stored on his device. Among these was a Level 4 DVD depicting two girls engaged in sexual acts, while the remaining eight images were classified at Level 1 and 2 severity levels. McDonnell explained to police that he obtained these images from a photo-sharing website, raising further concerns about his online behavior.

McDonnell, who resides on Burnley Road East, faced multiple charges, including six counts of making indecent images of children and one count of possessing such images. He had no prior criminal record. The court heard that he had no previous convictions and was remorseful about his actions.

In sentencing, McDonnell was subjected to a two-year community order, which included two years of supervised probation and participation in sex offender group therapy sessions. Additionally, he was issued a five-year sexual offences prevention order, restricting his internet use and prohibiting him from communicating online with anyone he believed to be under the age of 16. Furthermore, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for a period of five years.

Prosecutor David Bentley stated that police visited McDonnell’s home on December 12, and during the interview, he admitted, “I have just been stupid. I pretended to be a young girl, a lesbian. I didn’t really mean anything by it. I know I shouldn’t do this. It’s silly.”

John Woodward, representing McDonnell, expressed that his client was deeply distressed and regretted his actions. Judge Beverley Lunt, presiding over the case, emphasized the seriousness of McDonnell’s conduct, stating, “You have perverted thinking, there is no doubt about it, and that needs to be addressed by professionals.” The court’s verdict underscored the need for ongoing intervention and monitoring to prevent future offenses.