Saturday 31 October 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. 20805Possession of child pornography; attempting to sexually exploit a child · Co. Cork · 17 Oct 2020

Man pleads guilty to child pornography and attempted sexual exploitation of a child in Cork

Mehmet Umit Pala, a 61-year-old man of Turner's Cross, Cork, was first brought before Cork District Court on January 13 in connection with child pornography offences. Det Garda Craig Peterson served a book of evidence on him, and he was sent forward for trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. On June 7, 2023, Pala pleaded guilty there to knowingly possessing one image file found on a mobile device on October 17, 2020, and to attempting, by means of information and communication technology, to sexually exploit a child. He was remanded on continuing bail, and sentencing is set for November 3.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted7 Jun
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Mehmet Umit Pala pleaded guilty to knowingly having child pornography in his possession.
  • Pala also pleaded guilty to attempting, by means of information and communication technology, to sexually exploit a child.
  • The child pornography is one image file found on a mobile device.
Where
The offences are linked to an address at Maiville Terrace, Evergreen Road, Turner's Cross, Cork.
When
The image file was found stored on a Samsung Galaxy J3 mobile device on October 17, 2020.
Investigation
Det Garda Craig Peterson served a book of evidence on Pala.
Charges
Pala was first brought before Cork District Court on January 13 in connection with child pornography offences.
In court
  • Pala was sent forward for trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, where a junior counsel was assigned to his case.
  • On June 7, 2023, Pala entered guilty pleas at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, on a full facts basis.
Sentence
Pala was remanded on continuing bail until his sentencing hearing, set for November 3.
Other details
Corkbeo.ie reported the guilty pleas under a headline describing the offence as trying to obtain child sex images.
8 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatPala pleaded guilty to knowingly having child pornography in his possession. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whatPala also pleaded guilty to attempting by means of information and communication technology to sexually exploit a child. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whereThe guilty pleas were entered at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. (corkbeo.ie)
  • whenThe image file was found on a mobile device on October 17, 2020. (corkbeo.ie)
  • investigationDet Garda Craig Peterson served a book of evidence on Pala. (corkbeo.ie)
  • chargePala was first brought before Cork District Court in January in connection with child pornography offences. (corkbeo.ie)
  • courtPala was sent forward for trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. (corkbeo.ie)
  • sentencePala was remanded on continuing bail until his sentencing hearing on November 3. (corkbeo.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 7 Jun2023
    Convictedcorkbeo.ie, first report
    Man pleads guilty to trying to obtain child sex images in Cork

    Guilty pleas entered at Cork Circuit Criminal Court; sentencing set for November 3. Adds the court stage, the 2020 date of the image file, and the garda investigation details.

    convicted, Mehmet Umit Pala, 61, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Mehmet Umit Pala