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Although investigators believe as many as 3,500 children were targeted; this case focused on 70 of them to provide a manageable caseload for the court.

In 2019, it was confirmed that the Police of Northern Ireland had set up a “dedicated team” to specifically investigate the McCartney case, due to the number of potential victims.

Identifying the alleged victims had become a “mammoth task”, an earlier court said, with the investigation stretching as far as New Zealand.

The court heard that 12 computer devices were initially seized from McCartney following his arrest.

It was explained that these devices had the capacity to mimic other computers, giving the operator the ability to connect with four times as many victims.

“Each emulator has 760 folders, and each of those folders identifies a victim,” a prosecutor said.

“There is a small sample that is being brought forward for prosecution, which is only the tip of the iceberg.”

A total of 64 devices were found at his house on the rural Lissummon Road outside Newry during four separate raids.

These devices contained thousands of images of abuse.