WILLIAM SHOLDIS FROM BALLYNURE IN CO ANTRIM CONVICTED OVER CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In September 2023, William Sholdis, a 33-year-old resident of Ballynure in County Antrim, found himself at the center of a serious criminal case involving the possession and creation of indecent images of minors. The case was heard at Antrim Crown Court, where Sholdis pleaded guilty to a series of charges related to child exploitation and the distribution of explicit material involving children as young as six years old.

Sholdis was convicted on 18 counts, which included making indecent images of children, possessing banned images, and viewing extreme pornography. The evidence presented in court detailed the graphic nature of the material, with some titles and descriptions referencing bestiality and explicitly mentioning the victims' ages, some as young as six. The images and videos involved content that was deemed too graphic to publish, highlighting the severity of the offenses.

Following his conviction, Sholdis was ordered to register as a sex offender, a standard procedure for such crimes. Despite the gravity of the case, when approached by a reporter from Sunday Life at his home in Ballynure, Sholdis initially responded with hostility, shouting “No!” and slamming the door. However, his mother, Anne, appeared at the door shortly afterward and chose to speak on her son’s behalf.

Anne Sholdis claimed that her son was unaware that the victims depicted in the images were children, asserting, “He didn’t realise they were under 18.” She explained that William believed the individuals were over 18, despite court documents indicating that the victims ranged in age from as young as six to teenagers. She further stated, “He thought they were over 18, but they were teenagers and that’s what happened and he admitted to it.”

Anne also mentioned that her son has autism and other disabilities, and suggested that during the lockdown period, he had entered an area of the internet or a situation he was not fully aware of. She expressed her concern for her son’s vulnerability, saying, “He’s going on courses to help him, he has autism and other disabilities.” She acknowledged the complexity of the situation, saying, “I can see two sides to the story.”

She emphasized her disapproval of any harm to children, stating, “I don’t like to see anything bad happening to children, I have my own grandchildren, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to any child.” However, she also highlighted the impact of the allegations on her family, noting that they had been forced to leave their previous home after police investigations and expressed fears of a repeat incident. She added, “Where we were living before, once the police came to the home we were put out of our house and I wouldn’t like that to happen again. I’m 75 and my husband is 80.”

Anne further explained that her family is supportive of William and is trying to guide him away from negative influences, describing this period as “strenuous and stressful” for them all. On the day of the court hearing, Judge Alistair Devlin granted bail to Sholdis until his sentencing scheduled for November, and ordered him to remain on the sex offenders register. The case continues to draw attention to the serious issues surrounding child exploitation and the challenges faced by families dealing with such allegations.