Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 22839Sexual offence (sending a sexually explicit message to a minor) · Co. Dublin

72-year-old man given suspended sentence for sending sexually explicit messages to teenage girl

A 72-year-old man, who cannot be identified to protect his victim's identity, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sending a sexually explicit message to a minor in 2018 and received a fully suspended one-year prison sentence. The messages, sent via Facebook Messenger to his son's partner's daughter when she was 15 or 16, came to light during a separate investigation into the defilement of the girl by a different person.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced17 Jan
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
13 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatThe man sent sexually explicit messages to a teenage girl via Facebook Messenger (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe man was effectively the step-grandfather of the girl (irishmirror.ie)
  • whatThe girl told gardaí that nothing physical happened with the accused (irishmirror.ie)
  • whenThe messages were sent on an unknown date in 2018 (irishmirror.ie)
  • investigationThe messages came to light during an investigation into the defilement of the victim by a different person (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe man pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtJudge Martin Nolan described the content of the texts as depraved (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtThe judge noted it was a once-off event with no previous convictions and no garda attention since (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtGarrett McCormack BL was prosecuting (irishmirror.ie)
  • courtGarret Baker SC was defending (irishmirror.ie)
  • sentenceThe man received a fully suspended one-year prison sentence (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThe man cannot be identified to protect the victim's identity (irishmirror.ie)
  • otherThere was no victim impact statement before the court (irishmirror.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 17 Jan2023
    Sentencedirishmirror.ie, first report
    Man who sent depraved sexually explicit messages to teenage girl avoids jail

    Reports the sentencing of the 72-year-old man at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, including details of the messages, the circumstances of their discovery, and the judge's reasoning for a non-custodial sentence.

    convicted, 72, malevictim, 15-16, female