A registered sex offender caught with over 800 indecent images of children was made the subject of a three-year Probation Order on Tuesday.
As part of his period on Probation, Gordon Craig will participate in a two-year sexual offenders treatment programme. The 63-year old, from Wanstead Road in Dundonald, was arrested after police attended his home in September 2021.
At the time, Craig was on Probation for similar offences and officers called at his home to conduct a routine search of his electrical equipment and internet search history.
As a result of the visit, it emerged that Craig had accessed several websites and when his devices were examined, a total of 863 illegal images of children were located.
Craig was arrested and admitted a total of 15 offences which he committed over a period between December 12, 2020 and September 1, 2021.
These include multiple charges of possessing both indecent and prohibited images of children as well as possessing extreme pornographic images.
Judge Patricia Smyth said the case was “a serious matter” and one aggravated by the fact this was the second time Craig was before the court for the same type of offending.
The Belfast Recorder said that after reading a pre-sentence report, it was acknowledged that whilst Craig had a sexual interest in children there was “no evidence” to suggest he was likely to commit a sexual offence against a minor.
Telling Craig he had “entrenched distorted thinking”, Judge Smyth added: “Child abuse images depict real children being subjected to real, terrible crimes. That’s what you’ve been watching, that’s what you’ve been compelled to watch.”
Judge Smyth spoke of the need to protect the public and said a Probation Order was the most suitable sentence for Craig to address his offending behaviour.
Imposing the three-year Order, Judge Smyth warned Craig that if he failed to comply with Probation or breached the terms, the Order will be revoked and he will go to prison.
Before he left the dock, Craig was made the subject of a ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order and was told he will be on the Sex Offenders Register for the next five years.
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