Courts / Dublin / Report
53-year-old jailed after trying to meet girl (13) for sex
Summary
A 53‑year‑old man from Coolock was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final 20 months suspended, for attempting to meet and have sex with a 13‑year‑old girl who was a decoy bot set up by a vigilante group. The man, Shane Corrigan, used an online account to contact the bot, asking for explicit sexual acts and proposing a meeting at a hotel. He also asked the bot to bring her friends and a six‑year‑old cousin, and when the bot indicated she wanted to have sex with the six‑year‑old, he agreed. Defence counsel argued that Corrigan suffers from a mild intellectual disability and is a vulnerable adult. The court noted his early guilty plea, cooperation, good work history and lack of prior convictions as mitigating factors, but also stated that he knew his actions were wrong.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 53-year-old jailed after trying to meet girl (13) for sex. Charges or matters: using information technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child over four days around Christmas 2018. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 24 Other
- December 29, 2018 Incident
- September 2, 2022 Incident
- Christmas 2018 Other
- 2024-02-07 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Charges: using information technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child over four days around Christmas 2018 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: At a hearing in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today, Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Corrigan to three years in prison with the final 20 months suspended, adding that he didn't think Corrigan was "a danger to society". However, Judge Nolan said: "I do believe Mr Corrigan knows the difference between right and wrong and I do believe that he must have known what he was doing was wrong." Judge Nolan sentenced Corrigan to three years' imprisonment, but suspended the final 20 months on strict conditions.
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