A 39-year-old garda has pleaded guilty to two charges of inciting men to rape a woman and six counts of endangerment, after impersonating the same woman online and inviting strangers to either visit violence on her or potentially on two others.
These offences took place on dates between November 2018 and 26 December 2020.
Shane Flanagan, of Ennis in Co Clare, also pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing child pornography at his home on 17 January 2021.
Appearing before the Central Criminal Court, Flanagan pleaded guilty to inciting a man to rape the woman between 18 November and 20 December 2020, and to inciting another man to rape the same woman between 22 November and 6 December that year.
He also pleaded guilty to impersonating the woman on a fetish website between 20 April and 18 December 2020, and inviting persons unknown to visit violence upon her, thereby creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm to her.
On the same dates and on the same website he admitted impersonating the same woman to invite strangers to go the homes of two others "for the purpose of visiting violence upon the persons therein, thereby creating a risk of death or serious harm to" them.
He also pleaded guilty to impersonating the woman in Facebook communications between 26 November 2018 and 18 December 2020, where he again "invited persons unknown to visit violence upon (the woman), thereby creating a substantial risk of death or serious harm" to her, and between 20 December 2019 and 26 December 2020 to impersonating the same woman on Facebook to again invite strangers to attend the home of two others, putting them at risk of death or serious harm.
Prosecution Barrister Anne-Marie Lawlor SC told the court that the woman wishes to maintain her anonymity, but she had "no difficulty" with Mr Flanagan being identified.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott granted a defence application to extend legal aid to Mr Flanagan for the preparation of a psychological report and requested a probation report.
He also directed the preparation of victim impact reports.
Flanagan was remanded on continuing bail and will be sentenced in June.
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