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Man who had sex with underage girls he contacted online after posing as a teenage boy has jail term halved on appeal
Summary
Jerry Sheahan, aged 40, was convicted in 2011 of having sexual intercourse with three under‑age girls aged 15 to 17, whom he contacted online by posing as a teenage boy. He received three consecutive two‑year sentences, totalling six years, on 15 November 2011. On appeal, the Court of Appeal reduced the sentence to three years imprisonment on each count, to run concurrently. The court noted that Sheahan had used a teenage boy's photo on the under‑18 section of tagged.com, met the girls in isolated locations, and had a car to transport them. He had told two girls he was in his thirties before meeting them. The appeal judge cited Sheahan's guilty plea, cooperation, lack of prior convictions and a forensic psychological assessment indicating low risk of re‑offending as reasons for the reduced sentence. The girls did not file complaints, and one was observed dropping off a girl to her mother.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man who had sex with underage girls he contacted online after posing as a teenage boy has jail term halved on appeal. Charges or matters: three counts of having sexual intercourse with three underage girls in different counties between March and July of 2011. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- November 15 2011 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2015-11-02 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Charges: three counts of having sexual intercourse with three underage girls in different counties between March and July of 2011 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Sheahan successfully appealed his sentence today and the Court of Appeal re-sentenced him to three years imprisonment on each count to run concurrently. Accordingly, Mr Justice Edwards, who sat with Mr Justice Garrett Sheehan and Mr Justice Alan Mahon, imposed a new sentence on Sheahan of three years imprisonment on each count to run concurrently.
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