Predator set up by online vigilante group
The man believed he was communicating with teenage girls.
A man will serve three-and-a-half-years in prison after being caught in a sting operation by online ‘paedophile hunters’.
The man, who is in his thirties, sent explicit messages to what he believed were teenage girls aged 14-15 years old. In one message, he wrote: "I'll ride ya like".
He pleaded guilty to committing an offence contrary to Section 8 (1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 of using technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child.
The hearing was held in-camera, thus reporting restrictions were in place.
The defendant was lured to a location in Waterford under the premise of 'meeting' a teenage girl. When he arrived at the location, he was met by a group of online child welfare officers.
The group had set up profiles of the young girls with accompanying pictures. The man presented himself to Gardaí and explained his offending as 'just a comfort thing'. Gardaí seized his phone and found 'nothing of note' in the images, bar a foot fetish photo.
Gardaí did find hundreds of messages between the man and the profiles, many of the messages sexually explicit.
Defence counsel Brian P. O'Shea BL told the court that his client had mental health difficulties and struggled with alcoholism.
Judge Eugene O'Kelly expressed concern over the man's attempt to minimise his offending to his probation officer.
The man was ordered to follow all probation and psychological directions post-release.
