MICHAEL GERAGHTY FROM WORCESTER PARK JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IN LONDON

In a significant crackdown on child exploitation, Michael Geraghty, a resident of Oaks Avenue in Worcester Park, has been sentenced to a total of 15 months in prison after being found guilty of possessing and creating a large collection of indecent images of children. The case came to light following a comprehensive operation conducted by the Metropolitan Police, which targeted safety deposit centers across west London as part of the initiative known as Operation Rize.

During this operation, authorities executed multiple raids, including at a safety deposit facility in Park Lane. It was there that investigators uncovered a disturbing cache of over 21,000 indecent photographs and more than 50 films involving minors, stored within a safety deposit box linked to Geraghty. The CDs recovered from the box contained numerous videos featuring young children, both male and female, some as young as three years old, highlighting the severity of the material involved.

Further investigations by the Metropolitan Police’s Paedophile Unit led to Geraghty’s identification as the individual responsible. He was identified as the director of the sex shop Fettered Pleasure, located in Islington, North London. Following this discovery, police executed a search warrant at Geraghty’s residence in Worcester Park, where they found an additional 200 indecent images stored on his computer. These findings confirmed his involvement in the possession and creation of child exploitation material.

Geraghty, aged 50, appeared before Southwark Crown Court last Thursday, where he pleaded guilty to 12 counts of possession and making child pornography. As part of his sentencing, he was ordered to serve 15 months for each count of making indecent images and nine months for each possession charge, with all sentences to run concurrently. In addition to his prison term, Geraghty will be placed on the sex offenders register for a period of ten years.

Detective Constable David Ball, representing the Metropolitan Police’s Paedophile Unit, emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “Geraghty made and possessed indecent photographs and videos of children. His activities by storing such material in a safety deposit box demonstrates his clear intent to hide his sexual interest in children. This investigation sends a clear message that the Metropolitan Police are determined to bring to justice those persons who seek to sexually abuse children or possess such material.”

Prosecutor Peter Zinner highlighted the meticulous nature of the investigation, noting, “Bearing in mind the difficulties of tracing ownership, the officer undertook an outstanding investigation, and managed to trace the ownership to the defendant Michael Geraghty through forensic examination of the exhibits.”

Geraghty’s guilty plea was entered on January 22, and his sentencing underscores the serious stance taken by law enforcement against child exploitation crimes in London and beyond.