Courts / Dublin / Report

'Step grandad' avoids jail for sending 'depraved' messages to girl

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing on 17 January 2023, a 72‑year‑old pensioner pleaded guilty to sending sexually explicit messages to a minor. The victim, a teenage girl who was the daughter of his son's partner, received the messages on Facebook Messenger in 2018. The texts were described by the judge as "depraved" and included references to licking, riding and the girl's "tight pussy." The offender, who is effectively the girl's step‑grandfather, was not previously convicted and had not attracted Garda attention. Judge Martin Nolan, after noting the incident was a one‑off and that the victim reported no physical contact, imposed a fully suspended prison sentence. The court considered the lack of prior convictions and the absence of threat or intimidation, and the sentence was set as suspended with no custodial time.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Step grandad' avoids jail for sending 'depraved' messages to girl. Charges or matters: sending a sexually explicit message to a minor on an unknown date in 2018. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 2023-01-17 Publication

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Read the original CNI report