'I wanna cannibalise a child': Limerick man caught with child pornography jailed

Two of the videos, Detective James Muldowney said, were ‘the most extreme videos I ever had to view”’in 10 years of work in the Divisional Protective Services Unit in Limerick

Published 30th Jul 2026, 15:22 BST Updated 30th Jul 2026, 15:29 BST Limerick courthouse | x Two of the videos, Detective James Muldowney said, were ‘the most extreme videos I ever had to view”’in 10 years of work in the Divisional Protective Services Unit in Limerick Sign up to our Limerick Live newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know you can manage your profile, and explore all of the available newsletters from Limerick Live within your account.

** This article contains graphic material that some readers may find distressing **

A MAN who has pleaded guilty to 14 charges of the possession, production and distribution of child pornography and stated in texts that he wanted to cannibalise a child has been jailed at Limerick Circuit Court.

John Weber, now aged 48, with an address in Limerick, appeared before Judge Colin Daly for sentencing.

At a previous hearing, a summation of evidence on the child sexual abuse images and videos, referred to in law as child pornography, detailed that Mr Weber had explicit material of babies and toddlers.

Prosecuting Barrister John O’Sullivan said the child pornography “is not conventional” as it was shared in a written format through text messages on apps.

In the texts, the man wrote: “Most kids I wanna rape”, “I’d love to torture a child for days,” and “I love anyone who rapes kids” as well as a number of other messages of an extreme and graphic nature focused on children.

READ MORE: 'I want to kill by end of the year': Limerick man's messages revealed in child pornography case

The man further texted: “I want to kill by the end of the year”, “I always wanted to murder”, and “I wanna cannibalise a child”.

Mr Weber, who is HIV positive, also wrote: “They never ask my status. Not my problem”, and “Help me find lads to infect.”

The court heard that the 48-year-old had sent four videos containing child pornography to another user on an app, which included a five-year-old in chains, dressed in fetish and bondage gear.

Two of the videos, Detective James Muldowney said, were “the most extreme videos I ever had to view” in 10 years of work in the Divisional Protective Services Unit in Limerick.

Barrister O’Sullivan, putting forth the facts of the case with the detective, confirmed that the accused man has a crystal meth and GHB addiction.

The gardaí were alerted to Mr Weber’s activities by his counsellor, who was sent a video of a naked 8-year-old boy by the man on WhatsApp.

READ NEXT: 'Immediate threat' to children in Limerick: Crystal meth-addict said he’d ‘love to torture, rape and kill a child

Mr Weber’s address was searched by gardaí and his devices were seized on a date late in 2025. He told Detective Muldowney: “Come back in another year and there will be another phone with it on it.”

When the man was arrested several days later, he informed gardaí that he had taken crystal meth, and he was deemed to be unfit to be interviewed for a period of six hours.

Mr Weber claimed he was sexually abused as a child and said child sex abuse images and videos are a feature of his entire adult life, describing it as a compulsion.

In a cross-examination, the man’s barrister, Liam Carroll, put it to the detective that Mr Weber’s texts were fantasy.

The detective said: “They are real videos of children being sexually abused, being violently sexually abused.”

“He knowingly distributed them to unknown parties,” the detective stated.

The man’s barrister said in mitigation that Mr Weber is HIV positive, and he estimates that he slept with over 2,500 men when he was a sex worker.

Mr Carroll said his client claims to have been harassed, gang raped, and engaged in chem sex. The barrister said that this way of life left Mr Weber open to blackmail.

He said the man “engaged in downloading child abuse material”, and “engaged in the production and distribution of text based child sexual abuse material”.

Mr Carroll said his client “is somebody who is damaged to some degree” and “suffering from a serious degree of sexual dysfunction”.

“He welcomed his arrest, he could not stop,“ the barrister said.

In sentencing, Judge Colin Daly noted that John Weber came by way of signed guilty pleas to 14 charges, one for possession of child pornography and the rest being for production and distribution of child sex abuse images and videos. Mr Weber presented a letter to the court.

Judge Daly stated that two searches had been carried out at the 48-year-old’s property. One in September of 2024 and a second in October of 2025. The searches were granted by the courts after two referrals were made to the Protective Services from the National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children. A number of devices were seized, including iPhones and an iPad.

In total, 111 videos and images of child sexual abuse were discovered on the devices, the majority of which were classed as category one - meaning it was the most explicit material.

Mr Weber also engaged in numerous conversations with other online users, in some of which he detailed wanted to kidnap, torture and rape children. He sent one user an image of himself watching child pornography on two separate devices.

Judge Daly said Weber spoke of “killing children for his own gratification” and how the material found showed “extreme acts of sexual violence on young children.”

It was Judge Daly’s view that while there was no evidence of “hands-on” sexual abuse of children by Weber, the material was still harmful, whether it involved children in the real world or online, and that the nature of the child sex abuse images and videos was “at the most serious level” regardless.

Mr Weber confirmed to gardaí previously that he has been viewing such material since 1997. The judge said not only was the man found with these images and videos in September 2024, he was also found with more content just over a year later.

Judge Daly said not only did he have images and videos of child sex abuse, he also shared these and engaged in “deeply disturbing” conversations with other "paedophiles.” It was his view that this was not just sharing fantasies, as Mr Weber had previously claimed.

It was heard that while committing the offences the 48-year-old referred to real life events during these conversations, where he spoke of young relatives in a “vile description” as well as a child in his locality who has special needs.

Judge Colin Daly said Mr Weber “sought out this material and other paedophiles."

Taking all facts into consideration, the judge was satisfied that his offending fell into the upper range and set the following headline sentences: four years imprisonment on the possession of child pornography charge, 10 years on each distribution charge and 12 years on each of the production charges.

A probation report indicated that Mr Weber is at a higher than average risk of re-offending post-release.

In mitigation, Judge Daly took into account the man’s early signed pleas, co-operation with gardaí, that he accepts responsibility for his actions, is aware of the seriousness of these offences, that he “lost himself in his own depravity” and has a “significant degree of sexual dysfunction.”

He further took into account the sexual abuse Mr Weber claims to have experienced as a child, further sexual assaults he faced thereafter, that he was previously a sex worker in the UK and his ADHD diagnosis as well as his chronic illness.

Judge Daly also noted that Mr Weber had some employment history but abused trust when he previously stole from an organisation he had worked for. He has been in custody for some time, is availing of services and working in the laundry department of Limerick Prison. It was heard that he welcomed his arrest.

Mr Weber indicated that he will avail of further treatment upon release, which Judge Daly attached little weight to as it was only a promise on his behalf.

Judge Colin Daly sentenced John Weber to three years imprisonment for possession of child pornography and six years imprisonment for each distribution charge, these will run concurrently.

For each charge of production of child sexual abuse material, Mr Weber was sentenced to seven years in prison, to run concurrently, which will run consecutive to the possession charge.

In total, 48-year-old John Weber was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

Taking the principle of totality into account, Judge Daly suspended the final two years for a decade to encourage the man’s rehabilitation and reintegration into society. He must engage with the probation services upon release, take part in victim-focused work, a treatment programme, therapy and reside at an appropriate address.

Judge Daly ordered Mr Weber to have no unsupervised access to children whatsoever and he will remain on the sex offenders register indefinitely.