Prison officer admits child pornography offences

Craigavon Crown Court sitting in Belfast heard how former principal prison officer William Moore, 62, of Bellevue Drive, Lisburn, had previously received a community services medal but was arrested when police uncovered the haul of child pornography.

Prosecuting lawyer Ian Tannahill told the court how the offences came to light after an intelligence-led police search of Moore’s home, during which police seized two computers. Moore admitted the existence of the images, including movie files, to police at the scene with 118 images uncovered on one machine and 1,929 on the second computer.

Mr Tannahill said although Moore had not viewed them since 2008 and had in fact deleted them at that time, a forensic examination of the computers revealed that a “large number” of the images had been in the level one category with some in levels three and four.

Imposing the three-year probation programme, Judge Gemma Loughran said she accepted Moore had not viewed the material since 2008 and he had admitted his actions to police when they came to his home, later pleading guilty to 17 offences of possessing indecent images of children.

Moore also “bitterly regretted and remains deeply embarrassed by his actions”, the judge told the court, adding that he had “served his country” as a prison officer, latterly as a principal prison officer for 31 years and had been awarded the Imperial Service Medal for services to the community.

The judge told Moore: “However, the stigma of what you did will remain with you for the rest of your life and the offences of possession of images relating to children are not victimless offences, as the children have been subjected to appalling assaults on their innocence to enable these images to be taken.

“You had a large number of these images at level one and some at levels three and four, and the aggravating factor is the damage done to these children.”

Judge Loughran accepted a Probation Service recommendation that Moore spend three years on probation during which he must undertake a series of programmes to enable him to deal with his behaviour and stop him re-engaging in similar activity.

Fining Moore £2,000 for possession of the level four images, the judge said: “You should pay back to the community in some way for what you have taken out, in the broadest sense.”