Richard Irish, 57, of South Royalton, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Windsor Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one count of felony possession of child sexual abuse material. Judge Heather Gray presided over the court and sentenced Irish to 10 years of probation with conditions that restrict his access to the internet and contact with minors. If Irish violates the terms of his probation, he may face up to five years in jail. Additionally, he is required to register as a sex offender until 10 years have elapsed after the completion of his sentence.
The case was investigated by VT-ICAC (Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force), which handles cases of child sexual exploitation occurring over the internet. Their work includes investigating the production and online distribution of child sexual abuse materials, providing forensic examination services, technical assistance, law enforcement training, and public education and outreach.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) serves as the nation’s centralized reporting system for online exploitation of children. Reports can be made regarding suspected online enticement of children for sexual acts, child sexual molestation, child sexual abuse material, child sex tourism, child sex trafficking, unsolicited obscene materials sent to a child, misleading domain names, and misleading words or digital images on the internet. To make a report, individuals can call the 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678 or visit https://report.cybertip.org.
For those recovering from child sexual exploitation, NCMEC offers support including emotional and peer support services, assistance in removing content from the internet, and help in locating mental health professionals. More information is available at https://www.missingkids.org/gethelpnow/csam-resources or through their 24-hour call center at 1-800-843-5678.