Student 'addicted' to child porn banned from internet

Published on Friday 7 December 2007 17:20

AN engineering student with a “compulsive addiction” to child pornography has been banned from using the internet.

Edward Kiernan, 39, was found with indecent pictures and movies of children on his computer during a raid at his home as part of Operation Ore.

He had accessed the child porn on a file-sharing website and had made them available for others to download from him.

Kiernan, of Easter Dalry Road, who had recently completed a masters degree in engineering, admitted to police that they were his images and immediately undertook therapy for his sexual interests.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court yesterday, Kiernan was banned from accessing the internet or using computers with internet access as part of his probation.

He was also banned from being alone with anyone under the age of 16 and put on the sex offenders’ register for three years.

His solicitor Ewen Roy, admitted his client suffered “low self-esteem” and the images became a compulsive addiction to him.

He told the court: “He is very candid about the sexual gratification he got from the images – often such offenders are in denial but because of his honesty, its likely that he will respond well to treatment.”

Sheriff James Scott said: “You have come very close to going straight into custody for this. But I am satisfied that it is in the public interest and that children would be better protected by a probation order.”