A judge has jailed a man (27) for chatting with a mother on Snapchat with the aim of sexually exploiting her two-year-old daughter.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford imposed an 18-month prison term on father-of-three Thomas Quinn, of Watery Road, Ennis, Co Clare, and with a bail address in Co Cork, for the offence committed on August 29th, 2020.
Judge Comerford said there was an intent to harm a child, and the public understandably shows revulsion at this type of crime.
He said there has been no admission by Quinn to the offence of communicating with the woman online for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of her then two-year-old girl.
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A jury convicted Quinn of the offence at a trial at Ennis Circuit Court in May and the case was adjourned for sentencing.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Comerford said Quinn’s crime was one of intent.
He said Quinn’s actions in the Snapchat exchange with the mother were “irrational and impulsive”.
He said: “The child was never going to be in danger because her mother was always going to protect her.”
He said he was going to put the offence in the lower level of such offending for one to four years in prison, where terms of up to 14 years can be imposed.
There was “an absence of direct or indirect consequence for the victim”, he said and that the offence didn’t seem to be in any way calculated.
Garda Nadine Keane, who investigated the case, said the girl’s mother came to Ennis Garda station to complain that Quinn had communicated via Snapchat and asked her if he could have sex with her two-year-old daughter.
Counsel for the State Sarah-Jane Comerford said that in the Snapchat, Quinn asked the woman if he could “feek” her daughter.
Ms Comerford saidthere is no dictionary definition for “feek” but the woman understood that he wanted to have sex with her daughter.
Later in the exchange, Quinn said “if you let me, I would…” and persisted when asking “but would you let me?”
Garda Keane said the mother had known Quinn for a number of years and had been messaging him on and off for six months before August 29th, 2020.
Garda Keane said the woman kept screenshots ofQuinn’s request.
Judge Comerford saidQuinn always denied making the comments and had argued that some third party had interposed themselves on his Snapchat.
However, Judge Comerford said those denials were “set at nought by really good police work”.
He set a headline sentence of 26 months and reduced it to 18 months.
Quinn is now on the sex offenders register and can be identified in the reporting of the case.
