Pensioner admits to obtaining, sharing child porn

A pensioner from Bormla was released on bail, pending a sentencing hearing, after admitting to obtaining and sharing pornography that involved children.

Ronnie Farrugia, 64, was arraigned before magistrate Monica Vella on Thursday by senior police inspector Elton Buckingham and police inspector Carl Pace from the Cybercrime Unit, on charges of both acquiring and sharing the illegal material.

The court was told that the police had investigated Farrugia over three reports sent to the Cybercrime Unit by the US-based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NECMEC).

During the man’s arraignment, the prosecution exhibited the NECMEC report, together with a CD containing the material which had been sent from the man’s electronic devices. Requests sent by the police to his ISP, as well as tech giants Google and Meta were also exhibited, together with the relevant replies.

The man entered a guilty plea to the charges.

Defence lawyer Mark Mifsud Cutajar requested bail after the Court announced that it would not be sentencing Farrugia today.

As the prosecution did not object to the man being released from arrest until his sentencing hearing in two weeks’ time, the court granted Farrugia bail, ordering him to sign a bail book twice a week. His release was secured by a €500 deposit and a personal guarantee of €5,000.

At the prosecution’s request the court also ordered that Farrugia be registered as a sex offender.