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The schoolboy admitted that he distributed videos of child abuse over the phone.

The schoolboy admitted that he distributed videos of child abuse over the phone.

A 15-year-old boy from Dublin has pleaded guilty to possessing and distributing child abuse videos on his mobile phone.

The student was charged under two articles under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.

He was accused of knowingly storing eight videos on his iPhone and distributing them in January when he was 14 years old.

He appeared again at the Dublin Children’s Court and his parents accompanied him to the trial. The disclosure of prosecution evidence was ordered at a previous stage.

Cecilia Ní Choilein BL, defending, told Judge Brendan Toale that the boy, who is on bail, will plead guilty to the charges.

Judge Tole referred the teenager to the Probation Service for a pre-sentence report when the case resumes in November.

During an earlier hearing, Garda Ronan O’Brien said the boy did not respond when he was recently charged in “plain and simple terms”.

The case was referred to the Garda Youth Deprivation Programme, and the case was later referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

The DPP allowed police to charge the boy and recommended the case be heard in the Children’s Court rather than sent to the District Court, which has broader sentencing powers.

Outlining the allegations in an order confirming the location of the boy’s trial, an officer from the Garda National Drugs and Organized Crime Bureau said the case was the result of an “intelligence-led operation”.

He told the court this led to a search warrant at the boy’s home, where his phone was found.

It was analyzed and the police officer said it contained eight videos of child pornography.

Judge Shalom Binchi, who decided on the issue of venue, agreed with the DPP’s opinion and accepted jurisdiction to keep the case in the Children’s Court.

The boy, who cannot be identified due to his age, was not required to give evidence at this stage.