Sentencing adjourned for Cork man who tried to sexually exploit what he thought were young girls

Irish Examiner

5 days ago

WARNING: Some readers may find the following report upsetting
A man caught in an online sting operation having sexualised conversations with people he believed were 11- and 12-year-old girls has had his sentencing adjourned.
Patrick Linehan, aged 70, pleaded guilty to criminal charges arising out of the sting and he has been remanded in custody for sentencing on July 1.
Mr Linehan, a former Cork City Council employee, admitted using information technology to interact with children for the purpose of sexual exploitation and arranging to meet a child for the purpose of sexual assault.
'Pat Linehan sexualized the conversations very early in the communications with both profiles and describes in graphic detail sexual acts he would like to perform on the young girls,' Detective Garda Brendan Murray told Cork Circuit Court.
He asks if they would perform sexual acts on him, to which they reply, questioning if they're allowed to do that, given their ages, Pat Linehan suggests nobody would know, that it would be a secret.
'He sent images of his penis to both girls, and he sent videos of a sexual nature to the profile of the 11-year-old girl. The message thread to both girls, began on the June 19, 2023, and continued for a number of weeks, concluding on the July 8 2023.'
Mr Linehan had described the communications with a person he believed was an 11-year-old girl as "harmless fun", the court heard.
Gardaí were called to Comeragh Park, the Glen, in the north side of Cork City on July 8, 2023, where they met with the accused who was in the company of a number of people who purported to be members of an organization called Child Online Protection Enforcers.
'A member of this group handed gardaí two USB storage devices which, he stated, contained sexualized conversations between the accused and two female children aged 11 and 12 years,' Det. Gda Murray said.
'It was confirmed to gardaí that these girls did not exist, but their profiles were generated by and controlled by adults posing as children.'
When interviewed by gardaí, Mr Linehan admitted he had been in contact with two girls and acknowledged he was aware the girls really were 11 and 12 years of age, Det. Gda Murray said.
He later stated he thought the 12-year-old was 15 or 16 as she sounded older from the texts.
'He acknowledged he had sent her images and videos, but stated they were not obscene,' Det. Gda Murray said.
He also stated that she had asked to meet with him a few times, but he had never met up with her. He described the communications with the 11-year-old girl as harmless fun.
'During the investigation, gardai analysed Facebook messages and WhatsApp messages between Pat Linehan and the decoy profiles of an 11 and 12-year female. The Facebook profile pictures of both profiles are of young female children who could not be mistaken to be adults.
'In the initial conversations with each of the profiles, Pat Linehan is informed he is communicating with children, and their ages are discussed on a number of occasions throughout the message threads.
'Pat Linehan initially states to both children he is 13 years old, but later, after sending selfie-type photos of himself, is challenged and admits he is older, stating he was 62. (He was 68 at the time).'
Defence barrister Ronan Barnes previously said the accused pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and co-operated with the gardaí. He said the defendant had an exemplary work record with Cork City Council, where he worked for 31 years in drainage.
Judge Boyle previously agreed to adjourn the case to obtain a Probation and Welfare Report and a GP report but indicated that she would be dealing with it by way of a custodial sentence.
The case was adjourned until Judge Helen Boyle, who has been hearing the case, returns.
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Cork man had sexualised conversations with what he thought were girls aged 11 and 12