Kilkenny man pleads guilty to Child Trafficking and Pornography Act charges

A guilty plea has been entered by a Kilkenny man to a series of charges under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.

Paul O’Dwyer, Main Street, Stoneyford, entered the guilty plea to five charges before Judge Jonathan Dunphy at Kilkenny Circuit Court.

Mr O’Dwyer is charged that on May 6, 2023, he was in possession of child pornographic material on his phone.

He is charged with using information technology to attempt to communicate with a child, for the purposes of sexual exploitation, contrary to common law, on a date between March 21 and May 6, 2023.

He is charged with attempting to meet a child, contrary to common law, on May 6, 2023, in Castlecomer.

A guilty plea was entered to a second set of charges.

That Mr O’Dwyer was in possession of child pornographic images on August 5, 2022, at Main Street, Stoneyford.

There were 44 images found on a phone along with three videos.

Some 143 additional images were found on a laptop, the court was told.

Mr O’Dwyer was also charged with the production or distribution of child porn on a date between June 14 and June 21, 2022, using his phone.

Judge Dunphy was told Mr O’Dwyer had a history of psychiatric treatment and his barrister asked for legal aid to be extended for a psychiatric report. This was granted by the judge.

Mr O’Dwyer was remanded on continuing bail, on the same conditions as before, to the next sessions of Kilkenny Circuit Court, in November, for sentencing on all charges.