STEPHEN FINAN OF CRANMORE SURVIVES JAIL SENTENCE IN SLIGO FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

In March 2019, a man from Cranmore, Stephen Finan, who possessed appalling child sexual abuse images, was spared a prison sentence after a court hearing in Sligo. The court was told that Finan, aged 28 at the time of his plea, admitted to possessing 440 images of child abuse, which included 304 classified as 'Category 1', showing children aged between two and six years old engaging in or observing sexual acts. These images were stored on an Alienware device primarily used for gaming, with one image also found on an Acer laptop.

During the sentencing, Judge Francis Comerford noted Finan's distressed state when Gardaí arrived at his parents' home, saying that Finan expressed relief upon their presence, stating he 'wanted it to stop'. The judge emphasized that this was a significant factor in the case.

The court heard that among the images, 136 fell into 'Category 2', where children were not being directly harmed. Investigations found that Finan used specific search terms to locate these images, further elevating the seriousness of the offense. The offenses took place between May and September 2014, with some search activity detected in early 2014. Despite the gravity, Finan did not distribute the images and had deleted them before Gardaí intervened.

Judge Comerford pointed out that both devices lacked passwords, indicating it was not a sophisticated operation. Notably, about a month prior to his arrest, Finan searched online for the phrase: 'You're 16, you're a paedophile, you don't want to hurt anyone what do you do now?' This, the judge said, demonstrated some insight and remorse about his actions.

A report from John Stack of COSC, the National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence, was described by the court as 'impressive', noting that Finan had attended 48 appointments since August 2015. The judge observed that Finan's efforts in participating in rehabilitative services appeared genuine and aimed at avoiding re-offending, which he believed could reduce future risks.

While acknowledging that his family had faced harassment due to his offense, Judge Comerford stated that the issue was serious enough that the matter should be left to the court rather than public reaction. He recognized that the offenses represented a higher end of the severity spectrum that could warrant jail, but also took into account mitigating factors such as Finan's guilty plea, his prompt cooperation with Gardaí, his acknowledgment of wrongdoing, and his active efforts to rehabilitate.

Expressing reluctance to impose custody, the judge said, 'I am swayed by the attempt in August 2014 as some effort to turn away from the crime and his reply to Gardaí of “I wanted this to stop”.' Consequently, Finan received an 18-month prison sentence, which was suspended for three years, conditioned on his ongoing supervision by the Probation Service, maintaining engagement with COSC, and keeping the peace.

Additionally, Gardaí requested that the Alienware gaming device be forfeited for training and research purposes, and that the Acer laptop be destroyed. Finan has been registered on the Sex Offenders' Register since his guilty plea.