A 27-year-old Cork man who paid girls as young as 14 to pose for child abuse videos and images, which they sent to him from the UK via Snapchat, has been jailed for one year.
Adam Palmer, of Ballyhooleen, Ballinhassig, also got similar material from a 12-year-old girl without paying her.
Judge Colin Daly said given the gravity of the offences targeting teenage children, in which the defendant appeared to have significant control over the production of the images that he paid for, he sentenced him to two years in prison.
But he suspended the final year given Palmer, he said, "appeared to have developed a certain empathy and remorse" which the judge believed was genuine and that reports also said he is at low risk of re-offending.
Palmer had pleaded guilty to possession of child abuse images and using computer information for the purpose of sexual exploitation at Cork Circuit Criminal Court last June.
Sentencing had been adjourned until today to allow the defendant complete a 20 week course of psychotherapy.
Detective Garda Fintan Sleaton of the West Cork Protective Services Unit, told the court that the offences came to light when a woman living in the UK became aware in January 2020 that her 14-year-old daughter had received payments via Paypal in exchange for sexually explicit pictures of herself.
The girl's mother alerted British police who opened an investigation and traced the Paypal account to Palmer.
Searches of Palmer's computer, which was seized by gardaí during their investigation, uncovered a file entitled "My Eyes Only", which detailed how pictures could be encrypted on a phone and retrieved only with a user password, Det Garda Sleator told the court.
A total of 93 images and 90 video clips were found. Of these, 23 of the images and 80 of the videos were category one images - the most serious category - depicting children in sexual acts.
The investigation unearthed seven possible victims, all based in the UK, and two of the girls were interviewed by British police, including a 15-year-old who stated that she had told Palmer she was 15 and he offered her money through Paypal to send him sexually explicit images and videos.
The girl (known as Juvenile B) said Palmer complimented her on her appearance and arranged to meet her in a London hotel room.
Although he did not turn up, he persuaded her to send him eight images and 31 videos for which he paid her more than £1,000 (€1,169).
Another victim, known as Juvenile C, was 16. Palmer asked her to confirm she was 16.
He asked her for images of herself masturbating. She said he would be like a director, "he would dictate everything I would do in the video".
She sent him eight images and five videos. He paid her £245 (€286).
The youngest of Palmer's victims (Juvenile D) was just 12 and although there was no evidence of Palmer paying her money, she sent him 16 images and three videos of sexually explicit material featuring herself, Det Garda Sleator said.
He said that Palmer made a series of payments via Paypal to the girls, who were aged 12 to 16 years of age, of sums between £10 and £150, totalling £2,779 (€3,249).
Palmer told gardaí that he believed that if matters were consensual and confined to online activity, it would not be an offence.
He also denied knowing the girls were as young as they were.
However, his lack of knowledge in this regard was not accepted by the prosecution in light of interviews with the girls.
Defence Senior Counsel Jane Hyland said her client's signed pleas of guilty had spared his victims the trauma of having to give evidence and that Palmer had been assessed by psychotherapist Dr Nicholas Banks who said he was at low risk of re-offending. He had recommended he embark on a 20 session course of psychotherapy which he had undertaken.
"He is extremely remorseful in relation to his conduct," Ms Hyland said.
"He has done extensive work with the probation services on understanding the nature of his offending. He presents as a sensitive and respectable young man.
"He withdrew from college and was working antisocial hours. His opportunity to interact with his peers was curtailed. He split up with his girlfriend.
"He was chatting to peer-aged women online but unfortunately some of them turned out to be underage.
"He began to exchange videos and images but he never had any intention of meeting up with any of these girls."
Ms Hyland added: "This is a man who has now changed and understands that his behaviour was highly inappropriate and regrets his actions.
"He has developed his emotional intelligence and is aware of the impact of his behaviour on these girls."
Judge Daly said given the gravity of the offences specifically targeting teenage children, and that the defendant appeared to have significant control over the images which he paid for, they were at the mid point on the scale of severity.
Taking into account his guilty plea and co-operation with gardaí, he jailed him for two years, suspending the final year as he was at low risk of re-offending, and appeared to have developed " a certain empathy and remorse", which the judge believed was genuine.
