In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Cynan Rees, then 55, of The Reesidence, Old Belmont, Rochestown, Cork, was sentenced at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. Rees, who operated a computer repair business from his home, was jailed following the discovery of a “colossal” collection of over 80,000 child abuse images.
The court heard that in May 2014, An Garda Síochána searched Rees’ home following intelligence received from Interpol. While a total of 104 computer devices were seized, investigators discovered three specific hard drives in Rees’s bedroom containing a staggering volume of material. This included 78,866 images of child nudity and 2,280 images showing children in sexual activity with adults or other children. Additionally, there were 851 videos of a similar nature.
Detective Garda Sean Minihan testified that the collection included more than 2,700 “Category 1” images and videos—the most severe classification under the Irish legal system, depicting children being raped or tortured. When initially questioned, Rees attempted to claim he possessed nude images because he was a “naturist,” while denying the existence of child abuse material. However, forensic analysis of the hard drives rendered his denials void.
Judge Sean O’Donnabhain described the case as “exceptionally serious” due to both the sheer volume of images and the horrific nature of the top-tier categories. The prosecution noted that the complexity of analysing such a vast amount of data contributed to the five-year delay in bringing the case to court.
In 2019, Cynan Rees was sentenced to three years in prison, with the final 18 months suspended. As a condition of the suspension, Rees was ordered to undertake a specialist course with Forensic Psychology Services immediately upon release and remain under the supervision of the Probation Service for three years. He was also subject to the sex offenders’ notification requirements under the Sex Offenders Act 2001.
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