Pensioner cleared of child sex abuse charges after lack of evidence

A pensioner has been cleared of possessing and uploading extreme child sex abuse material after no solid evidence was presented in court.

Police investigations led to the arrest of Publius ‘Leo’ Said, 73, who was charged with possessing extreme child sex abuse material and misusing electronic equipment.

The case stemmed from an alert issued by the US-based National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which flagged local authorities about footage of violent sexual abuse of very young children, which was downloaded locally.

Inspector Joseph Busuttil, testifying before Magistrate Charmaine Galea, said NCMEC, which is a non-profit organisation that works to combat child sex abuse and recover missing children, had tipped off the Maltese authorities after identifying the videos on networks traced back to Malta.

Police later reportedly found four such videos on Said’s electronic devices.

Said denied the charges from the outset, describing his arrest as a “frame-up by the Americans” while being led into custody at Corradino Correctional Facility. He was initially denied bail and held on remand pending trial.

The court ruled that there was no tangible or solid evidence proving Said had committed the alleged crimes. Therefore, he was acquitted of all charges.

Lawyer Carmel Gatt represented the accused.