Wednesday 28 October 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. 3345Child sexual exploitation (online), attempting to cause a child to look at a sexual image, attempting to invite a child to sexual touching · Co. Westmeath · 29 Jun 2021

Former OPW employee Kevin Smyth pleads guilty to child sexual exploitation offences in online sting

Kevin Smyth, 58, a former OPW employee from Castlepollard, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to four offences under the 2017 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act after sending sexualised messages to a PSNI undercover operative posing as a 13-year-old girl. He is to be sentenced in May 2026.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Convicted15 Apr
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
16 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatHe was caught in an online sting after sending sexualised messages to an undercover PSNI operative posing as a 13-year-old girl. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatOn 15 July 2021 he attempted to intentionally cause a child to look at an image of himself engaging in sexual activity. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe attempted to use Skype and WhatsApp to facilitate child sexual exploitation between 29 June and 19 July. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatHe attempted to invite a child to sexual touching on 30 June. (irishtimes.com)
  • whatAfter gardaí identified him, he claimed he did not know it was a child, but later made full admissions. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereHe lives at Dublin Road, Castlepollard, Co Westmeath. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offences occurred on various dates in 2021. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationPSNI sent an intelligence pack to gardaí regarding a specific user on chat rooms and social media apps. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to four offences under the 2017 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtThe court found the defendant needed specialised counselling. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtJudge Keenan Johnson said if the internet had not been invented, a lot of these offences would not see the inside of a courtroom. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtHe is to be sentenced in May. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherKevin Smyth is a former OPW employee who worked in river cleaning. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHe had no prior convictions and was married. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherHe lost his job and his marriage and family life as collateral damage. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherA psychological report identified that the offence stemmed from sexual addiction issues. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 Apr2026
    Convictedirishtimes.com, first report
    Former OPW employee sent sexualised messages to undercover officer posing as girl (13)

    Plea hearing at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court; sentencing adjourned to May 2026. PSNI intelligence pack triggered the investigation. Psychological report identified sexual addiction; court found specialised counselling needed.

    convicted, Kevin Smyth, 58, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kevin Smyth