Thursday 5 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 29787Possession of child sexual abuse images; possession of child sexual abuse material for sharing · Co. Dublin

Girl adjourned on child sexual abuse images charges in Dublin

A 17-year-old Irish girl has been charged with possessing 78 images and 72 videos of child sexual abuse and a handwritten diary defined as child pornography, allegedly stored in a Dropbox account in 2017 and shared with another youth in Munster. Gardaí commenced an investigation into her online activities four years ago with assistance from US and Canadian authorities after the girl, then aged 13, came to a Dublin Garda station with her mother and offered information about her Dropbox account. She was charged under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, and at a preliminary hearing in Dublin Children's Court in October 2021, Judge Treasa Kelly (also reported as Teresa Kelly) refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case for a book of evidence to be prepared. The girl was remanded on continuing bail to appear again in November 2021.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In court5 Oct
    3 reports
  5. Verdict
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • The girl allegedly had 78 images and 72 videos containing visual representations of a child engaged in explicit sexual activities, stored in a Dropbox account in 2017.
  • She allegedly had a handwritten diary with drawings and text defined as child pornography, featuring commentary and drawings about child mutilation and dismemberment.
  • The material featured children from infants to teenagers being raped, sexually assaulted and suffering verbal and physical abuse by adult males.
  • She allegedly used the Dropbox account to share the material with another youth in Munster who later abused a child sexually.
When
The third charge relates to possessing the material in late 2016 in a Dropbox account for sharing.
Investigation
  • Gardaí commenced an investigation into her online activities four years ago with assistance from US and Canadian authorities, who obtained evidence from Dropbox, Facebook and Kik.
  • The girl came to a Dublin Garda station with her mother when aged 13 and freely offered information about her Dropbox account; Gardaí searched her home and recovered the diary, and interviewed her when she was 14.
Charges
She was charged under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act with possessing the images, videos and diary, and possessing the material for sharing.
In court
  • At a preliminary hearing in Dublin Children's Court in October 2021, the DPP recommended trial on indictment in the Circuit Court, but Judge Treasa Kelly (also reported as Teresa Kelly) refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case for a book of evidence to be prepared.
  • The girl was remanded on continuing bail to appear again in November 2021.
Other details
The girl had been in care.
42 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe girl had 78 images and 72 videos containing visual representations of a child engaged in explicit sexual activities (irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • whatShe had a handwritten diary with drawings and text defined as child pornography (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe material featured children from infants to teenagers, vaginally and orally raped, sexually assaulted and suffering verbal and physical abuse by adult males (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe diary featured commentary and drawings about child mutilation and dismemberment (irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • whatShe allegedly used Dropbox to store and share child pornography with another youth in Munster who later abused another child sexually (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatShe allegedly admitted to sharing the diary with like-minded people online and having child abuse ideation (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatShe is accused of having a handwritten diary with drawings and text defined as child pornography (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe third charge is possessing the material in late 2016 in a Dropbox account for sharing (thejournal.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe girl came to a Dublin garda station with her mother when aged 13 and freely offered information about her Dropbox account (thejournal.ie)
  • whatShe allegedly shared child pornography with another youth in Munster who later abused another child sexually (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe girl had dozens of child sexual abuse videos and images in a computer account (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe wrote a diary about her interest in the rape, torture and murder of children (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe material was allegedly stored in a Dropbox account (irishtimes.com)
  • whatShe allegedly used the account to store and share child sexual abuse images with a youth in Munster who later abused a child sexually (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe material featured children from infants to teenagers being raped, sexually assaulted and suffering verbal and physical abuse by adult males (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe diary was described as a journal with drawings and text about her interests in the rape, torture and killing of prepubescent girls and infants (irishtimes.com)
  • whatThe diary allegedly featured commentary and drawings of child mutilation (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe material was in a Dropbox computer account in 2017 (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe third charge relates to possessing the material in late 2016 in a Dropbox account for sharing (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe material was allegedly in a Dropbox computer account in 2017 (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationGardaí commenced an investigation into her online activities four years ago with assistance from US and Canadian authorities (irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • investigationGardaí searched her home and recovered the handwritten diary (irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • investigationUS and Canadian authorities obtained the evidence from Dropbox, Facebook and Kik (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationGardaí interviewed her when she was aged 14 (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationUS and Canadian authorities obtained evidence from Dropbox, Facebook and Kik (thejournal.ie, irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe Garda computer crime section assessed and classified the material (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationGardaí commenced an investigation into her online activities four years ago (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe investigation was conducted with assistance from US and Canadian authorities (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe girl came to a Dublin Garda station with her mother when she was 13 and freely offered information about her Dropbox account (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí searched her home and recovered the diary (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí interviewed the girl when she was 14 (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGarda computer crime staff assessed and classified the material (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeShe was charged under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act (irishmirror.ie)
  • chargeShe has been charged under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeShe was charged under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act with possessing 78 images and 72 videos of a child in explicit sexual activities (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeShe is accused of having a handwritten diary with drawings and text defined as child sexual abuse images (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe DPP recommended she face trial on indictment in the Circuit Court (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Treasa Kelly refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case for a book of evidence to be prepared (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe girl was remanded on continuing bail to appear again in November (irishmirror.ie, thejournal.ie)
  • courtJudge Treasa Kelly refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case for a book of evidence (thejournal.ie)
  • courtJudge Teresa Kelly refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case until November (irishtimes.com)
  • otherThe girl had been in care (thejournal.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 5 Oct2021
    In courtirishtimes.com, its first report
    Teenage girl to face trial for sharing images of child sexual abuse

    Preliminary hearing at Dublin Children's Court; DPP recommended trial on indictment in the Circuit Court; defence cited the girl's age, harrowing background and four-year delay; Judge Teresa Kelly refused jurisdiction and adjourned to November.

    accused, 17, female
  2. 5 Oct2021
    In courtthejournal.ie, its first report
    17-year-old girl to go on trial for possession of child sex abuse images and videos

    Preliminary hearing at Dublin Children's Court; Judge Treasa Kelly refused jurisdiction and the case was adjourned for a book of evidence, with the girl remanded on continuing bail to appear in November.

    accused, 17, female
  3. 5 Oct2021
    In courtirishmirror.ie, first report
    Court hears Irish girl, 13, 'wrote about wanting to rape and murder kids'

    Preliminary hearing to determine trial venue; Judge Kelly refused jurisdiction and adjourned the case for a book of evidence to be prepared. The girl was remanded on continuing bail to appear again in November 2021.

    accused, 17, female, Irish, irish