A 39 YEAR old Co Clare man has pleaded guilty to sending lewd pictures of himself to three ‘random’ females, including one from Limerick, and committing a solo sex act in public on the early Galway to Limerick train service.
At Ennis District Court, Sgt Louis Moloney said that one of the injured parties who witnessed the man engaging in the solo act on the 6.15am Galway to Limerick service on February 20 this year videoed the incident and handed over the recording to Gardai as evidence in the case.
Sgt Moloney said that Gardai boarded the train at Gort after a complaint was received of the indecent incident which occurred on the early train service between Oranmore and Athenry.
Sgt Moloney said that two people who witnessed the incident made statements to Gardai.
The offence on the train came only nine days before the man made his first appearance in court on March 1 concerning sending the lewd images of himself to females.
In relation to the first offence, the man randomly selected a Co Kerry woman’s phone number before sending her a lewd image of himself on October 16 2020.
Sgt Moloney said that the woman made a complaint to Gardai in Killarney that she received the lewd image of her phone at 12.50am on October 16 2020 from a man she didn’t know.
In another case, the man has pleaded guilty that on May 1 2021 he intentionally engaged in offensive conduct of a sexual nature by sending a lewd image via WhatsApp to a female living in Limerick in such a manner to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person.
The man also pleaded guilty to on May 4 2021 of intentionally engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature by sending a lewd image via WhatsApp to another female living in Dublin in such a manner to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person.
The charges are contrary to Section 45(3) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.
Sgt Moloney said that when interviewed by Gardai, the man made full admissions.
Judge Alec Gabbett said that he wanted a Probation Report into the case. He said: “I need to know what is going on here.”
Solicitor, Stiofan Fitzpatrick for the accused said that he had a similar case before where medication was required to deal with a client’s compulsion.
Mr Fitzpatrick said that all of these incidents occurred when his client was “highly intoxicated”. He said that his client sent the images to random individuals and the women who made complaints all live outside Co Clare.
He said: “There was no sophistication here. He number was easily identifiable and traceable to him.
Judge Gabbett – who previously imposed reporting restrictions on the identify of the accused and injured parties – remanded the man on continuing bail to next March for a Probation Report.
The man’s bail conditions include that he does not engage with social media communications with any females unknown to him; be of good behaviour, sign on weekly at his local Garda station and have no contract directly or indirectly with the alleged injured parties.
