Father spared jail over lurid texts to teen daughter’s friend

A 63-year-old Mountbellew man has been given a suspended two and a half year sentence for sending anonymous, lurid text messages to a schoolgirl for three years.

John Quinn, of 7 Forest View, Mountbellew, pleaded guilty before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in January 2015 to harassing the then 14-year-old on dates between October 1, 2010 and February 25, 2013.

The matter was adjourned to May of last year for sentence to await the findings of various reports on the accused.

It was further adjourned in May to last November for finalisation – but after reading the most recent probation report on the accused then, Judge Rory McCabe decided to place him on a further six-month probation bond to appear before the court again last week.

Defence barrister, Conal McCarthy said last May that his client had randomly taken the victim’s number off his own teenage daughter’s phone and had sent the text messages when drunk and feeling lonely.

Garda Broderick, who investigated the matter said the defendant’s daughter had recognised her father’s mobile number when the victim showed her one of the text messages on her phone one day in April, 2013.

When arrested and interviewed on May 1, last year, Quinn said he knew the victim was underage.

Garda Broderick said the offending behaviour, which continued up until the girl sat her Leaving Certificate, had caused great distress to the girl and her family.

Quinn told Gardaí he started sending the texts “out of boredom” and admitted having a drink problem due to the breakdown of his marriage.

“He got into a spiral of loneliness, depression and alcohol dependency which ultimately led to this offending behaviour,” Mr McCarthy said.

A probation report handed into court at the time deemed Quinn at moderate risk of reoffending and suggested he never have any contact with the girl again.

It recommended Quinn be placed on a probation bond and remain under the supervision of the probation service for a time prior to sentence so that issues, such as his alcohol dependency continued to be addressed.

An up-to-date probation report was handed into court last week.

Mr McCarthy said he was pleased to see his client had fully complied with everything the service had asked of him and he had not come to Garda attention since.

Judge McCabe said he had indicated last year that the appropriate sentence to be served would be two and a half years and the degree to which Quinn served the sentence would depend on how he complied with the probation service in the interim.

As he had complied fully, Judge McCabe said he could impose the sentence but suspend it in its entirety on condition Quinn remain under the supervision of the probation service for the next twelve months, comply fully with all of its directions and make no contact with the victim.