EUGENIO CIACCIARELLI FROM LIVINGSTON JAILED FOR CHILD PORNOGRAPHY OFFENSES

In June 2013, a man from Livingston was sentenced to prison after being found in possession of a vast collection of illegal child pornography images and videos on his personal computer. Eugenio Ciacciarelli, aged 42, appeared before Livingston Sheriff Court to face the consequences of his actions, having previously pleaded guilty to charges related to the possession of indecent photographs and films depicting children.

His arrest was the result of a detailed investigation by a specialized police unit focused on internet-based child protection. Authorities received a credible tip-off indicating that Ciacciarelli’s internet connection at his residence on Bankton Terrace in Livingston had been used to access and download illicit material. Acting swiftly, law enforcement officials obtained a search warrant for his home and executed it on May 18, 2012.

During the search, officers seized two computers for forensic analysis. The examination revealed a disturbing collection of images and videos. An Acer laptop was found to contain a staggering 5,111 illegal images, with nearly 1,600 classified at the most severe levels, specifically levels four and five. Additionally, the device held over 300 videos depicting children engaged in sexual acts, with 246 of these videos also classified at the highest levels of severity. A separate computer tower was found to contain two videos at level four, further underscoring the extent of the material stored on his devices.

Defense attorney Raymond McMenamin argued that Ciacciarelli was a first-time offender with a previously unblemished character. He described him as a hardworking businessman and suggested that his client may have inadvertently downloaded more images than he intended, possibly due to a “catalogue effect.”

Mr. McMenamin explained, “Having obtained access to the initial sites, he followed that through out of curiosity and for reasons he finds hard to explain. When the computer was examined, he expressed surprise at the number of images and the range of content, and it may be that he did not view all of them.”

He urged the court to consider sparing Ciacciarelli from a custodial sentence, emphasizing his otherwise good character and contributions to society. “I appreciate the nature of the images is something that would be of utmost concern to the court,” he said, “but we have a man of impeccable background with a loving family who has contributed, and continues to do so, to our society.”

However, Sheriff Susan Craig was firm in her judgment. She sentenced Ciacciarelli to 18 months in prison, along with an extended two-year sentence, and ordered him to be placed on the Sex Offenders’ Register. Her remarks reflected the gravity of the offense, stating, “While you have otherwise contributed to society, the images found on your computer range from the lowest level to the most serious. The number of images at the higher levels gives me significant concern. They are abhorrent. The appropriate sentence for individuals possessing such material is a custodial sentence.”