Courts / Dublin / Report

South African teen (18) caught flying in to meet girl (13)

Date
2024-02-09
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

Alexander Ortauf, an 18‑year‑old South African who had lived in Bristol, was denied entry to Ireland in February 2020 after an immigration officer discovered he intended to meet a 13‑year‑old girl he had met online. The officer called the girl from Ortauf's phone and realised she was very young, leading to his denial of permission and alerting Gardaí. Gardaí found about 20 images and ten videos of a sexual nature of the child on his phone. Ortauf pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child pornography and one count of using information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child. He had no prior convictions. The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court sentenced him to a fully suspended term of two and a half years, with the judge noting his youth and lack of previous convictions as mitigating factors. The sentence was suspended in full, with no custodial time imposed.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: South African teen (18) caught flying in to meet girl (13). Charges or matters: one count of possessing child pornography on February 17, 2020 and one count of using information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

Alexander Ortauf

Defendant

Charges: one count of possessing child pornography on February 17, 2020 and one count of using information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: Photo: Collins) A South African man who was 18 when he was caught coming into the country to meet a 13-year-old girl while carrying abuse images and videos of her on his phone has been given a fully suspended sentence. He said that if Ortauf had been older at the time, a custodial sentence would be inevitable.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Facility
  • Severn House

Topics

Stage Sentence

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