Courts / Dublin / Report
Would-be abuser caught in sting operation by online vigilante group
Summary
Robert Ashmore, 54, was jailed for 16 months after an online vigilante group staged a sting operation, posing as a 13‑year‑old in WhatsApp chats. The groups, 'Child Protection Awareness' and 'Justice Reborn', supplied Gardaí with over 2,000 exchanges that were explicit and led to Ashmore's guilty plea at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for attempting to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child between 3 March and 23 April 2018. He also admitted possession of 71 cartoon images of children aged eight to ten in sexual acts. Ashmore claimed he believed he was talking to scammers and had no notion of engaging with a minor. He was found to have no prior convictions, was deeply regretful, and is now on the sex offender register. The judge accepted his cooperation and the absence of witness statements from the groups, sentencing him to 16 months' custody.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Would-be abuser caught in sting operation by online vigilante group. Charges or matters: attempting to communicate with another person in order to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child on dates between March 3, 2018 and April 23, 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 3, 2018 Incident
- April 23, 2018 Incident
- 2023-02-14 Publication
Why: She explained that 'Child Protection Awareness' and 'Justice Reborn' were two groups that had communicated with Ashmore, via WhatsApp, while posing as a young teenager. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: attempting to communicate with another person in order to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child on dates between March 3, 2018 and April 23, 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Photo: Collins) A man who was caught through a sting operation by an online vigilante group who posed as a 13-year-old in WhatsApp conversations has been jailed for 16 months. Judge Nolan accepted that Ashmore's absence will cause great difficulty for his mother but that he was deserving of a custodial sentence before he jailed him for 16 months.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Beaumont Hospital
- then went to Ballymun Garda Station
- Ballymun
Topics
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