Three men admitted to child pornography charges in court on Friday, pleading guilty just before courtroom proceedings were set to get underway. 

The men were among seven arraigned last Tuesday after they were arrested by the police vice squad, who were acting on an Interpol tip-off. 

Two of the men involved had immediately registered a guilty plea upon being arraigned and were sentenced each to an 18-month jail term suspended for four years.

In today’s sitting, a Filipino man caught with "the most disturbing footage" of newborns being sexually abused pleaded guilty and was condemned to a jail term of two years suspended for four years.

Another of those charged, a 20-year old student with an acute addiction to pornography, likewise pleaded guilty and was handed a three-year probation order and placed under a three-year treatment order.

The third man to plead guilty was granted bail against a deposit of €800 and a personal guarantee of €3,000, pending the drawing up of a pre-sentencing report in his regard.

A Syrian man among those involved who last Tuesday had pleaded not guilty reiterated his plea in court on Friday and filed a fresh request for bail. This was however turned down once again by the court, presided over by magistrate Audrey Demicoli.

The names of all the men charged cannot be revealed under court order.

Inspectors Joseph Busuttil, John Spiteri and Justine Grech prosecuted.
Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri were defence counsel to the three men who today pleaded guilty. Lawyer Ludwig Caruana and Janice Borg were defence counsel to the Syrian man.