DONATAS KOVALSKIS FROM COOKSTOWN FACES DEPORTATION AFTER CHILD INDECENCY CHARGES IN BELFAST

A 28-year-old man, Donatas Kovalskis, has been recommended for deportation to his homeland of Lithuania following his recent conviction for possessing indecent images of children within his residence in Cookstown. The case was heard at Belfast Crown Court, where Kovalskis received a sentence of eight months in prison, which was suspended for a period of three years.

Hailing from Parkmount Drive in Cookstown, Kovalskis pleaded guilty to a total of thirteen charges, including ten counts of creating indecent images of a child and three counts of possessing prohibited images of children. The criminal activity spanned a period from February 8 to August 24, 2017, during which the offending material was accessed and stored.

The investigation into Kovalskis’s activities was initiated when the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) conducted a search of his home in August 2017. This operation was prompted by intelligence indicating that child abuse images were being accessed from an IP address associated with his property. Although Kovalskis was not present at the scene when police arrived, he was subsequently arrested and questioned. During the interview, he admitted to the authorities that he had used social media platforms to view child abuse images, some of which he had saved onto his devices.

Further details revealed that the images in question were accessed over a period of several months, and the evidence was recovered from devices seized during the search. His defense team highlighted delays in bringing the case to court and pointed out his relatively young age at the time of arrest.

Judge Brian Sherrard acknowledged that Kovalskis had a prior criminal record in Lithuania, where he was convicted in 2019 of sexual offences against children. When Kovalskis returned to Northern Ireland to face the charges related to indecent images, he told a Probation Officer that he had no sexual interest in children. However, the judge noted that his actions in both Cookstown and Lithuania suggested otherwise.

While accepting that Kovalskis had expressed remorse for his conduct, Judge Sherrard emphasized that his criminal behavior demonstrated a pattern of concerning activity. Considering the circumstances and the delay in the legal process, the judge imposed a suspended sentence of eight months and placed Kovalskis under a ten-year Sexual Offences Prevention Order. Additionally, he recommended that the Justice Minister consider deporting Kovalskis back to Lithuania, citing concerns over public safety and his criminal history.