Suspended sentence for making indecent images of children

Christopher Martin McGuinness, whose address was given on court papers as Ventry Lane, Belfast, pleaded guilty to a total of 37 child porn offences between May 27, 2011 and May 5, 2012.

They included making indecent photos of a child, possessing an extreme pornographic image and possessing prohibited images of a child.

Derry Crown Court heard that the 48-year-old was convicted of other sex offences and is currently on licence.

These indecent images were found at the same time but because of a huge backlog in the PSNI E- crime department there was a delay in the case coming to court.

However, Judge Babington said it would be ‘equally wrong if he didn’t receive sanction as a result of this offending, which is particularly serious and disgusting’.

The judge suspended an eight month sentence for three years.

He also ordered McGuinness to sign the sex offenders register for ten years and to be subject to a sexual offences prevention order until further notice.