Former OPW worker had online sex chat with undercover PSNI officer posing as 13-year-old girl
Tom Tuite
A Westmeath man was caught in a online sting after sending sexualised messages to an undercover PSNI operative posing as a 13-year-old girl.
Former Office of Public Works (OPW) employee Kevin Smyth, 58, of Dublin Road, Castlepollard, will be sentenced in May.
He pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to four offences under the 2017 Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act on various dates in 2021.
The first charge states that on July 15th, he attempted to intentionally cause a child to look at an image of himself engaging in sexual activity, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, or corrupting a child.
He also admitted attempting to use information and communication technology applications, Skype and WhatsApp, to facilitate child sexual exploitation between June 29th and July 8th, and July 8th and July 19th.
Smyth, who worked in river cleaning for the OPW, also pleaded guilty to attempting to invite a child to sexual touching on June 30th.
Detective Sergeant Eric Naughton of the Divisional Protective Service Unit in Athlone told Judge Keenan Johnson that the Police Service of Northern Ireland sent an intelligence pack to gardaí regarding a specific user on chatrooms and social media apps.
He initially went under the username "Older Guy" when he was communicating with what he thought was a girl aged 13 named Jess.
He began asking if "Jess" looked "hot" in her school uniform and, using graphic terms, if she had ever let a man touch her sexually.
Smyth questioned whether the operative pretending to be a child had ever seen a man masturbating and asked for pictures of her and her mother. Other explicit messages referred to her body parts and requests, "Would you show me?"
The communication continued on Skype with a video call from Smyth showing him "on a tractor or some plant machinery attempting to masturbate".
More messages followed discussing urination for gratification, more references to the mother. He received a non-sexualised picture and continued requesting images, while he gave instructions on masturbation. He also sent a picture of an erect penis while he requested more images.
He told "Jess" he had friends in Belfast and instructed her to save his number in her contacts under a girl's name.
The father of two used WhatsApp to send more similar messages, including a video of a male exposing his penis and attempting to masturbate.
The court heard that after gardaí identified him, he claimed that he did not know it was a child. Later, he made full admissions.
John Shortt, defending, said his client, who had no prior convictions, was married, had lost his job and his marriage and family life as part of the collateral damage.
A psychological report identified that the offence stemmed from sexual addiction issues. The senior counsel referred to case law that when addiction has been identified, the primary issue for the court is rehabilitation and preventing reoffending.
The court found that the defendant needed specialised counselling.
Adjourning the case, Judge Johnson commented that "if the internet was not invented, a lot of these offences would not see the inside of a courtroom, temptation would not be there".
While a wonderful tool for information, it was a "cesspit as well", he added.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.
