Paul Fanning sentenced for child sexual exploitation attempt

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Paul Fanning was sentenced to two and a half years, with two years suspended, for attempting to communicate with a child to facilitate sexual exploitation at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, reported on 30 July 2019. He had pleaded guilty to the offence, which involved arranging to meet an online profile he believed belonged to a 13-year-old in Merrion Square.

Judge Pauline Codd ordered the suspension on condition that Fanning undergo appropriate therapy. The court heard that he had contacted decoy profiles and requested sexually explicit images before arranging the meeting.