WILLIAM MULLAN'S SHOCKING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CRIMES IN ENNISKILLEN

In a disturbing case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Enniskillen, William Mullan, a 42-year-old resident of Old Rossorry Park, was brought before the High Court on serious charges related to child exploitation and possession of indecent images. The court heard that Mullan, described as a 'devious' sex offender, had a long history of engaging in illegal activities involving child pornography, which culminated in a series of alarming actions that demonstrated both his addiction and his willingness to go to great lengths to conceal his crimes.

According to court proceedings, Mullan admitted to police that he had a compulsive addiction to viewing and storing indecent images of children. His actions included the deliberate disposal of his mobile phone into a local lough, an act driven by his disgust at what he had done. Despite this attempt to destroy evidence, investigators uncovered that he had used a second device to continue his illicit activities. The court was told that Mullan had created social media accounts under false aliases to access and download the illegal material online, further complicating his case.

The charges against him include breaching a Sexual Offenders Prevention Order (SOPO), which had been imposed on him following a previous conviction for possessing indecent images. The court was informed that earlier this month, police were alerted to Mullan’s activity on Snapchat, where he had posted a Category A video of a child in October of the previous year. This revelation was part of a broader investigation into his online behavior.

During the examination of his seized devices, authorities discovered approximately 2,500 images depicting children ranging from infants to teenagers. The severity of his actions was underscored by the fact that he had been under a 10-year SOPO, highlighting the ongoing risk he posed. Crown prosecutors revealed that Mullan had openly admitted during police interviews that he had purchased two mobile phones without permission, with the explicit purpose of accessing and feeding his addiction to child pornography. He had used aliases to set up accounts on platforms like Snapchat and Telegram, engaging with individuals he believed to be minors aged between 15 and 17.

Further details revealed that Mullan had thrown one of his phones into the lough after discovering its contents, which included numerous indecent images of children. Despite this, he continued his illegal activities by acquiring a second device, which he used to access Telegram, downloading up to 2,000 images onto the app. He reportedly deleted these images periodically out of self-disgust, a cycle he claimed to have repeated at least five times. The court also heard that he changed his SIM cards twice after being banned from certain apps due to his involvement with indecent images.

Opposing bail, the prosecution emphasized that Mullan is a Category One registered sex offender, which indicates a high risk of re-offending. His defense argued that he was suffering from an active addiction and suggested that he could be managed safely if released, citing potential delays in the case. However, Lord Justice Horner dismissed these arguments, citing concerns over the possibility of future offenses. The judge described Mullan as 'quite obviously devious' and noted his willingness to take steps to access illegal images, ultimately refusing bail and keeping him in custody pending further proceedings.