Wife of serving police officer ordered to sign sex offenders register

The 43-year-old pleaded guilty to an offence relating to indecent images of children

The defendant, who cannot be named because of an anonymity order, admitted that between March 29th and June 5th 2020, she assisted a named male 'in the distribution of indecent images of children'.
The defendant, who cannot be named because of an anonymity order, admitted that between March 29th and June 5th 2020, she assisted a named male 'in the distribution of indecent images of children'.

The wife of a serving police officer was ordered to sign the sex offenders register on Tuesday after she admitted an offence relating to indecent images of children.

With the 43-year-old standing in the dock of Antrim Crown Court, defence counsel Michael Ward asked for one of the two charges to be put to the defendant again.

Speaking quietly, she said “guilty” when the charge of “inciting, encouraging or assisting the distribution of indecent images of children” was put to her.

The defendant, who cannot be named because of an anonymity order, admitted that between March 29th and June 5th 2020, she assisted a named male “in the distribution of indecent images of children.”

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Prosecuting counsel Suzanne Gallagher asked the court for count one, an offence of distributing or showing an indecent image of a child, to be left on the books which was granted by Judge Roseanne McCormick KC.

While the facts of the case have not yet been opened, previous courts heard that the 43-year-old had claimed her phone had been hacked on the dark web.

In court on Tuesday, Mr Ward said that in addition to the pre-sentence probation report, he would also be lodging a further report from a consultant psychiatrist.

Judge McCormick adjourned sentencing until September 12th and freed the 43-year-old on bail. He also ordered that the “notification requirement [of the sex offenders register] apply as of today.”