IAN CAMERON FROM DROMORE ESCAPES JAIL OVER 15,000 INDECENT CHILD IMAGES

In November 2012, a man from Dromore, Ian Cameron, aged 40, was spared prison after admitting to possessing over 15,000 indecent images of children. At Omagh Crown Court on Friday, Cameron received a three-year probation order and was also subject to a five-year sexual offences probation order (SOPO).

During proceedings, it was revealed that Cameron had installed a hidden partition on his computer to conceal the images. This collection included 15,298 images classified as category one, along with 20 in category two and five in category three. The majority depicted young girls aged 12 and 13, accessed between August 28, 2010, and October 27, 2010.

Additionally, police uncovered around 17,000 other images on Cameron’s computer that, while not illegal, suggested an interest in children, as described by Judge Geoffrey Millar QC.

The images were discovered during a search of Cameron’s home on October 27, 2010, prompted by intelligence indicating he had used an internet account to access indecent images of children. It was noted that Cameron had used search terms like “non-nude teen,” “preteen,” and “lolita,” which the prosecution argued indicated searches for illegal content.

Forensic analysis confirmed the presence of 15,323 illegal images, most stored in a hidden partition Cameron created on his computer. Cameron initially claimed that this hidden section was set up to hide adult pornography from his wife.