Sex offender had more than 20,000 images of child abuse on computer

28 Nov 2017 11:09 AM

A Belfast man who had more than 20,000 images of child abuse on his computer has been jailed following a joint National Crime Agency-PSNI investigation.

The material held by Ramsay Pennycook, 29, of Holywood, Belfast, included items in the most serious category for child abuse images.

Pennycook was yesterday sentenced at Downpatrick Crown Court to six months in jail and 18 months on licence.

We was ordered to sign the sex offenders register for 10 years and given a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Pennycook was convicted of making and possessing indecent images of children, possessing prohibited images of children and a charge of possessing extreme pornography relating to images of bestiality.

NCA branch commander Rob Burgess said: “The NCA and PSNI are working together to tackle criminal threats to Northern Ireland, including detecting and putting before the courts those who watch child abuse online.

“Pennycook was viewing material of an extremely disturbing nature, prolonging the abuse of the victims within the images.

“His sentence should serve as a warning to like-minded people who think their own activity will go unnoticed or unpunished.”