A13-year-old boy found child rape movies on his laptop after he loaned it to a 45-year-old UK national in 2010, to use while his own was broken. The revelation unfolded as Limerick Circuit Court heard evidence from Det Garda, Christine Bergin in the case against Simeon Betts, a man charged with the possession of 50 child pornographic movies and nine images on three laptops that were seized from his possession in 2010.
The material found was said to have been at the “utmost end of the scale” and of the “horrendous” exploitation of children where some as young as four years of age were raped by adults and animals.
Betts, with an address at Henry Street, Limerick, pleaded guilty to the possession of the images and movie files, having first denied the allegation in a lengthy interview conducted by gardai at a house in Hollymount, Raheen in March 2010.
Det Gda Bergin and other members of the force raided the home of the accused under search warrant after receiving certain information from Interpol and the UK based Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP).
Analysis of the material found on the computers was carried out by specialist agencies where Det Garda Bergin enlisted the help of up to six different investigation units including Interpol and CEOP.
Betts was charged in July 2010 and made admissions at the time of charge.
At his sentencing hearing on the final day of term of Limerick Circuit Court, Simeon Betts said nothing as he sat in the dock as evidence and detailed descriptions of the search terms, files and images were given to the court.
Acting on the information received by Interpol, the gardai obtained a search warrant and went to the home of the accused on March 4, 2010.
Betts’ place of work, his cars, a campervan and another address in county Limerick that he had access to, were searched and a number of items were seized for analysis.
The material found was linked to three laptops seized – one in the kitchen, one in the bedroom and one in the garage attached to the home. Betts admitted, in interview, to knowingly having the material in his possession,
All three had been used to view and access the content which was described in court and one computer was actively used to search the internet for child pornography where Betts would masturbate to movies and images “as a means to satisfy his desire” according to Defence Counsel, Mark Nicholas who added in mitigation that this must have been a “horrible situation to be in but he {Betts} made admissions and takes full responsibility for his actions. He’s in deep distress and wants to engage help”.
Betts, the court heard was later arrested in July 2010 and during the course of four interviews held, he made full admissions as to his interest in such material.
During one such interview, the accused man admitted to being sexually aroused while viewing the material online. He also admitted to borrowing a laptop from a 13-year-old boy and used it to search for child pornography. The laptop had been returned to the boy some time later and the child pornographic material with movies of children as young as four years of age being raped, was returned to the boy. The files had not been deleted.
The court heard from Det Gda Bergin that the teenager informed both gardai and his mother as to the content of the material found.
Since the charges were brought against the accused, Betts is now unemployed but had previously worked in a card and birthdays shop, a gift store in the city centre as well as the Early Learning Centre.
The father of four, who admitted to having “felt bad knowing that a child suffered while he watched the movies, is now said to have very restricted access to his children and had tried to “suppress” his desires to seek out the material.
Betts, with previous convictions for minor road traffic offences and who is on bail with a daily sign on requirement, faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
Judge Carroll Moran was handed a report conducted by clinical psychologist Dr Patrick Ryan who said that Betts had an insight into his problem but was “not out of the woods yet”.
The Judge adjourned sentencing until June 8 stating that it was a “difficult case” that needs his full consideration in sentencing.
