Ireland Teacher given three-year sentence, final two years suspended, for sexually exploiting schoolgirl online
John Murphy, a 42-year-old teacher from Ballycullen, Dublin, pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography between December 2007 and December 2010. Between June 2017 and June 2018, while teaching mathematics and science at a school in Tallaght, he engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old schoolgirl online and asked her for naked pictures of herself. He pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of a child, and Judge Quinn sentenced him at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court to three years in prison with the final two years suspended, plus 12 months concurrent for child pornography. He resigned from his teaching job in 2022, and the sentence, which includes a ban on unsupervised access to children and a register placement, was reported on 21 July 2023.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrestednot reported
- Chargednot reported
- In courtnot reported
- Verdictnot reported
- Sentenced21 Jul
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- John Murphy, 42, engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a 15-year-old schoolgirl online over a 12-month period.
- Murphy asked the girl for naked pictures of herself in Instagram texts and told her he wanted to be the one to take her virginity.
- Where
- Murphy lived on Ferncourt Crescent, Ballycullen, in Dublin, and taught mathematics and science at a school in Tallaght at the time of the offence.
- When
- The sexual exploitation offence took place between June 2017 and June 2018, and the child pornography offence between December 2007 and December 2010.
- The sentence was handed down on a Friday and reported on 21 July 2023.
- Investigation
- No images of the girl were found on Murphy's computer, but she told gardaí she had sent him images of herself in her underwear.
- Charges
- Murphy pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of the 15-year-old victim between June 2017 and June 2018.
- Murphy pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography between December 2007 and December 2010.
- In court
- The case was heard at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court.
- Sentence
- Judge Quinn sentenced Murphy to three years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child, with the final two years suspended.
- Murphy was sentenced to 12 months for child pornography, to run concurrently.
- The suspended part of the sentence includes a ban on unsupervised access to children and participation in a therapeutic programme for sexually harmful offending.
- Murphy will be placed on the register of sex offenders.
- Other details
- Murphy had no previous criminal convictions and resigned from his teaching job in 2022.
16 statements extracted from the articles
- whatMurphy engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a schoolgirl online over a 12-month period. (irishtimes.com)
- whatMurphy asked the girl for naked pictures of herself via Instagram texts. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMurphy lived in Ballycullen, Dublin. (irishtimes.com)
- whereMurphy was a teacher at a school in Tallaght at the time of the offence. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe sentence was handed down at a sentence hearing on a Friday. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationNo images of the girl were found on Murphy's computer, but she told gardaí she had sent him images of herself in her underwear. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeMurphy pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of the 15-year-old victim between June 2017 and June 2018. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeMurphy pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography between December 2007 and December 2010. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe case was heard at Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceJudge Quinn sentenced Murphy to three years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child, with the final two years suspended. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe suspended part of the sentence includes a ban on unsupervised access to children. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceThe suspended part of the sentence requires participation in a therapeutic programme for sexually harmful offending. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMurphy will be placed on the register of sex offenders. (irishtimes.com)
- sentenceMurphy was sentenced to 12 months for child pornography, to run concurrently. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMurphy had no previous criminal convictions. (irishtimes.com)
- otherMurphy resigned from his teaching job in 2022. (irishtimes.com)
The reporting
newest first- 21 Jul2023Teacher who asked schoolgirl for naked pictures online jailed for one year
Sentencing report. The offences took place between June 2017 and June 2018 (exploitation) and December 2007 and December 2010 (child pornography). The article also covers the conditions attached to the suspended sentence and the sex offenders register placement.
convicted, John Murphy, 42, male, named, irish (judged from name)John Murphyvictim, 15, female