This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8131406.stm
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ex-policeman jailed over images | Ex-policeman jailed over images |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A former police officer has been jailed for three years at Belfast Crown Court after pleading guilty to downloading images of child abuse. | A former police officer has been jailed for three years at Belfast Crown Court after pleading guilty to downloading images of child abuse. |
| Aaron Payne, 32, who quit the PSNI at the time of his arrest last year, admitted 25 charges of downloading the images between February and April 2008. | |
| The images were seized during a search of Payne's former home at Ballyhenry Crescent in Newtownabbey. | |
| He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life. | He was also ordered to sign the sex offenders register for life. |
| The court was told that officers raided Payne's former home last July and seized his computer for examination. | |
| A prosecuting lawyer said when Payne was arrested later that day at Armagh PSNI station, he told officers that if he had known they were coming "he would have shot himself". | |
| Payne claimed he would view the images and then delete them and although he was "fully aware" of the consequences, "he could not stop". | |
| Passing sentence, Judge Tom Burgess said the images of children showed "abhorrent, grossly intensive and disgusting acts of sexual depravity". | |
| "They do not live in Northern Ireland, but they have the same right to protection and a normal happy upbringing but instead they have been subjected to acts which have destroyed their childhood," he added. |