A self-confessed paedophile who pleaded guilty to having and sharing videos and images of young children being raped by adult males has been jailed for 22 months with the final 12 months suspended.
Reporting restrictions in respect of the defendant’s identity were lifted by sentencing judge Sinead McMullan at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, allowing the media to name Kevin Raggett (22), who came before the court with an address at Laurel Villas, South Circular Road, Limerick.
Judge McMullan described as “horrifying” the explicit material gardaí found when they searched an address in Limerick where Raggett was residing shortly before his 18th birthday.
Gardaí discovered 455 videos and images on a mobile phone and two laptops owned by Raggett.
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Most of the evidence, including 362 videos and images, was classified as category one material – the highest level of explicit child sexual abuse and rape.
Gardaí classified 93 images as category two, which involved the exposure of children’s genitalia.
The judge said some of the material found on Raggett’s devices included boys “as a young as five or six” being “raped” by adult males.
Judge McMullan noted that Raggett’s defence barrister, Antoinette Simon, previously outlined how, “from an early age”, Raggett had been “on the radar” of Tusla but that “interventions were slow to come on line”.
Concerns about Raggett were flagged with Tusla in 2013 when he was 11. Further concerns were flagged in 2015 and 2019.
Tusla eventually contacted gardaí in 2020 after Raggett disclosed to a counsellor that he was “sexually aroused” by young boys, prosecution barrister John O’Sullivan told the court.
Gardaí searched the address where Raggett was residing, which was being run by Tusla, on June 4th, 2020, and seized Raggett’s electronic devices.
The court heard Raggett used a software programme to delete his internet browsing history as well as sexually explicit images.
The evidence was unearthed when gardaí used special forensic tools on Raggett’s electronic devices.
The court heard Raggett had used the web browser Tor to search the “dark web” for child abuse material, and he had engaged in private chat forums with other paedophiles about sharing images and videos.
John O’Sullivan said Raggett told gardaí ahe had started viewing the explicit material “out of morbid curiosity” and “admitted to being sexually aroused while viewing child pornography of this nature”.
A pre-sentencing probation report found Raggett is of high-to-medium risk of reoffending.
Judge McMullan commended Raggett’s parents for how they had conducted themselves throughout their interactions with the relevant authorities, and for their ongoing support for him.
The judge said that, as Raggett had “relevant previous convictions”, a headline sentence on each count of four years was appropriate.
She reduced each sentence to 22 months with the final 12 months suspended, to run concurrently.
She said she had taken into account Raggett’s early guilty plea, his expression of remorse, his co-operation with gardaí, a “suggestion” that he may have been groomed sexually as a child by unidentified persons, and that he would have been “immature” at the time of offending.
The court placed Raggett on the sex offender’s register for at least ten years.
Addressing Raggett, the judge said: “I do hope you can access help in custody, you are a young man who is intelligent, with a lot going for you, and you have a family that is supporting you, and that will stand to you.”
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