Man who tried to meet 13-year-old girl through Snapchat messages jailed at Dundalk court
A man who tried to meet a 13-year-old girl through messages on Snapchat even though she told him "you're twice my age", has been jailed for three years and nine months at Dundalk Circuit Court.
A man who tried to meet a 13-year-old girl through messages on Snapchat even though she told him "you're twice my age", has been jailed for three years and nine months at Dundalk Circuit Court.
The now 33-year-old , who appeared for his sentencing by video link, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, between November 28 and December 29, 2019.
The court had previously heard in May that the defendant, who was originally unaware of her age, had sent messages of a sexual nature to the teen and had made attempts to arrange to meet her.
When she told him her age, he said "You can't be" and when she said "I am", the defendant replied "You look about 18. He continued the chat, saying "Pity. Because you're sexy. Pity you're not older".
When she asked him why she should be older, he asked her if she had ever had sex. However, she had made it clear she had no intention of meeting at 26 year old. The defendant told her that some girls are into older men, but the teen rebuked him and told him "cop on".
The girl's mum took over her Snapchat account and replied, posing as her and it was during this exchange that the defendant replied with a photo of his face. In further chats he again asked the '13 year old' about her sexual experience.
The victim's mother reported the offending to gardaí on December 27th 2019, and the man was arrested on July 15th 2020.
He denied sending messages, and claimed he had only sent pictures.
The defendant has nine previous convictions for possession of drugs, road traffic and public order offences, but none for anything of this nature and he had not come to garda attention since 2022.
In a victim impact statement which was read to the court in her absence, the teenager said she when she had been sent a picture of the road she lived on she "felt he was watching me" and she felt unsafe around her estate adding "I can't go out on my own" and she can't be alone with men. She said she gets taxis everywhere and is scared of seeing the defendant and "hopes that justice will be served".
Prosecutor Steven Dixon BL said the child had a breakdown after making her statement. The Senior Defence Counsel said her client had changed his lifestyle and was working as a chef in a pub in County Meath and was living in emergency accommodation.
She stressed that he could not have known the complainant's age when the messages were sent initially and after he had enquired about where she lived the girl's mum had taken over the running of her account
In finalising the matter yesterday Judge Dara Hayes said that the court had a concern with the contents of a probation report.
The defendant, who consented to his remand in custody on June 19th last, had minimalised his involvement, saying that the girl shouldn’t have been unsupervised on Snapchat, and likened her mother taking over the account to “entrapment”.
A probation officer had assessed him as being at high risk of sexual reoffending and at medium risk of non-sexual re-offending.
He denied an unhealthy sexual attraction to children. As a 15 year old, the defendant had been asked to leave school in Drogheda over his non-attendance. He has led a transient life and was homeless for seven years when alcohol and cocaine were part of his lifestyle.
He got rented accommodation in Co. Kildare for two years before returning to Co. Louth.
The defendant, who has undertaken education courses in prison and had written a letter of remorse, had childhood difficulties and is now drug-free for the first time since the age of 14.
Judge Hayes said that this was serious offending which persisted for one day over a month and it was clear from the Probation report "that there is more work to be done".
He imposed a sentence of four years and nine months, backdated to when he went into custody, with the final 12 months suspended for two years.
The conditions attached include that the defendant has no contact with the victim or her family and he must also engage with addiction services and any supports recommended by the Probation Service and engage with the Safer Lives programme.