TYRONE MAN HANDED EXTENDED PROBATION FOR CHILD ABUSE IMAGES AND ONLINE GROOMING
Kevin James McKenna, a 44-year-old man from Fintona, Tyrone, was sentenced for attempting to obtain sexual images of a girl he believed to be 13 years old.Contrary to his belief, he was messaging a police decoy.
His guilty plea covered six offenses committed between May and June 2023, including attempted sexual communication with a child, incitement to involve a child in pornography, and possessing indecent images of a child.
During police searches and interviews in 2023 and 2024, a total of 21 child abuse images and an extreme animal pornography image were discovered on his mobile device.
Despite claims of remorse and engagement with probation, the judge imposed a further three years of probation, alongside a five-year sexual offences prevention order and registration as a sex offender.
The judge highlighted that McKenna maintained he had no sexual interest in children, but such claims were met with skepticism, especially given the severity of his offenses.
