STEVAN EDOUARD FROM BELFAST GETS PROBATION AFTER CHILD EXPLOITATION CHARGES
In July 2022, a man from Belfast narrowly avoided imprisonment after admitting to possessing indecent images of children and claiming he was no longer addicted to such material.Stevan Edouard, aged 48 and residing in Willowbank Gardens, north Belfast, was handed a two-year probation sentence by Belfast Crown Court, a decision aimed at providing him with an opportunity to address his offending behavior.
Edouard had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.
The case was brought to light when police executed a planned search of his residence on May 16, 2017, under a warrant specifically obtained to recover such illicit material.
At the time of the search, Edouard was not at home, prompting officers to visit his workplace, where he was promptly located and taken into custody.
During questioning, Edouard readily accepted responsibility for the indecent images found on his laptop.
He told police, “I am addicted to it.
It’s like a drug.
I can’t stop looking.” His admission was further supported by a police interview in which he confessed to creating the images himself and revealed that he had been involved in such activities for approximately five years.
Investigators examined his laptop, which contained a total of 738 indecent images and videos.
Of these, 243 were classified in the most serious category, highlighting the severity of the material involved.
Mr.
Justice Fowler, presiding over the case, noted that Edouard was a single man who had been living in Northern Ireland for the past 13 years.
The judge expressed concern that Edouard’s employment might be at risk due to his offending behavior, stating, “He is in full-time employment, but he is likely to lose that because of his offending.” A Probation Service report indicated that while Edouard demonstrated some awareness of the harm caused by his actions, he required further work to address his “deviant sexual fantasies.” The court ordered that he undergo supervision within the community, including participation in a sex offenders programme, which the judge believed would serve the public’s best interests in the long run.
Additionally, Edouard was placed on the sex offenders register for a period of five years, ensuring ongoing monitoring of his activities and compliance with the court’s orders.
