Courts / Dublin / Report
'Catfisher' who lured boys into sharing explicit images avoids jail
Summary
A 25‑year‑old Dublin man, formerly known as Ben Mooney and now Ben McCarthy, was sentenced to a three‑year suspended term after pleading guilty to possessing child pornography. He admitted to using the alias "Nicole Heffernon" to contact up to 15 teenage boys via Facebook, sending them explicit images and videos of themselves in underwear or naked, and also videos of the boys masturbating. The court found he had 4,000 images and 300 videos on a Samsung phone at his home. He had no prior convictions. Judge Melanie Greally noted his behaviour was exploitative and that he had been under a two‑year probation bond since 2019, during which he completed the "Safer Lives" programme and other treatment courses. The suspended sentence will be enforced if he fails to comply with probation conditions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Catfisher' who lured boys into sharing explicit images avoids jail. Charges or matters: knowingly possessing child porn and possessing 4,000 images and 300 videos of child porn on a Samsung mobile phone at his home on January 5, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 2018 Hearing Or Sentence
- January 5, 2016 Incident
- March 2019 Adjournment
- 2021-07-09 Publication
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: knowingly possessing child porn and possessing 4,000 images and 300 videos of child porn on a Samsung mobile phone at his home on January 5, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally imposed a three-year sentence which she suspended for three years on conditions including that he undergo probation supervision. At that time she said it was very much in his control as to whether a custodial sentence will be imposed after she indicated she would take into consideration the level at which he engages with the Probation Service over the two years.; In March 2019 Judge Greally placed the accused under a two-year probation bond and adjourned the case to 2021.
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