DAVID MORANA, LIVERPOOL, CLAIMED CHILD RAPE IMAGES 'JUST POPPED UP' ON COMPUTER IN 2021

In May 2021, 71-year-old David Morana was involved in a case at Liverpool Crown Court where he claimed that images of child exploitation had simply 'popped up' on his computer. Police had seized his devices during a raid at his home on February 13 of the previous year after acting on intelligence. The search revealed a computer tower and external hard drive containing disturbing images.

Prosecutor Cheryl Mottram stated that officers discovered a total of 1,773 images of child sex abuse. She highlighted that the earliest file was created on March 11, 2003, and that Morana had also used Bing to search for terms like 'young girls' and 'very young girls,' including 'porn.'

Among the images found was one of a child as young as five years old. In addition to these, authorities uncovered 38 images depicting extreme pornography involving adult females and animals, along with videos of child sex abuse. Experts also identified peer-to-peer file-sharing software on the devices.

Morana, of Grieve Road, Fazakerley, admitted to possessing 422 images of child rape, 464 Category B child abuse images, and 849 Category A images, which are deemed the least serious. He also confessed to having 38 extreme pornographic images. His illegal possession of these images spanned from March 10, 2003, to February 14, 2020.

In court, a Liverpool judge responded to Morana's explanation, stating, 'things don’t just pop up 1,773 times.' Ultimately, Morana was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment suspended for 18 months. He is also required to complete 100 hours of unpaid work, undertake 20 Rehabilitation Activity Requirements, and adhere to a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for 10 years. Additionally, he was ordered to register as a sex offender for the same period.