The Enniskillen Paedophile, William Mullan, a convicted sex offender who admitted to obtaining 2,500 explicit photos of children, spanning from infants to adolescents, has been detained in detention.
William Mullan, a 42-year-old resident of Rossorry Park in Enniskillen, is facing charges of violating a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). He is accused of using a false identity and possessing two mobile phones that allowed him to access the internet without the approval of his Designated Risk Manager.
William Mullan not only had, shared, and erased explicit photographs of children but also interacted with children on Snapchat.
The offence took place in October 2023 but was recently brought to the attention of the police.
A Detective Constable informed the Dungannon Magistrates Court that the charges may be linked.
He clarified that William Mullan is classified as a Category 1 Registered Sex Offender and is required to comply with the Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) as a result of prior criminal behaviour.
On September 3, the police received information that he had obtained an image of a youngster in the most severe category of seriousness using an email address. William Mullan was apprehended and relinquished his phone.
The court heard he “spoke freely during interview, advising officers he is addicted to child pornography, and since his release from prison purchased two phones, intending to go online for this purpose”.
The officer continued: “William Mullan created an alias username and set up a Snapchat account, after that engaging with children. He admitted sending a video at the request of one of his users.”
The court heard that about six months after purchasing the first phone, William Mullan threw it into a lough as “he was disgusted at what was on it and admitted it contained a lot of bad things”.
However, a short time later, William Mullan purchased the second phone and accessed the Telegram app, and through various channels, downloaded thousands of indecent images, from babies to teenagers.
William Mullan would then delete these as he was “disgusted with himself” but repeated this around five times, the court heard.
Having been banned from Telegram, William Mullan changed his SIM card twice.
Objecting to bail, the detective pointed to William Mullan’s previous relevant record. He was given a Probation Order in 2008 and six months’ custody in 2022.
He added: “The seized phone contains around 2,500 indecent images of children. Several of the SOPO conditions have been breached and admitted.
“If released on bail, the defendant would be very difficult to monitor, as he is unwilling to abide by conditions.”
A defence solicitor urged bail to be granted as examining the phone and a seized laptop will likely take considerable time.
Acknowledging the previous record was concerning, he also said the court could impose very stringent conditions, including a complete ban on internet usage.
However, District Judge Peter Magill suggested any delay may not be overly concerning, even with the case likely to be transferred to Crown Court, as Mullan has cooperated fully and made admissions and disclosures.
Refusing bail, he said: “This is someone who admits he is addicted to child pornography. He will not stop.
“Telling him he is not to have access to the internet will do no good because he will breach.”
Addressing the court directly, Mullan implored the judge to grant bail, insisting he could seek help as: “I want to beat this habit. I’ll do courses. I’ll do anything.”
However, Judge Magill replied: “The problem is your history does not fill me with confidence. I believe you are a risk, and bail is refused.”
Mullan will appear again by videolink at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on September 30.
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