Courts

Man jailed for offering girl (14) €1,000 for sex

James Connors (35), from Tallaght, later punched and kicked teenager’s mother while trying to make his escape

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that James Connors said he would never have made the offer to the girl had he known she was only 14. Photograph: Matt Kavanagh

Sonya McLean
Tue Feb 13 2024 - 17:26

A man who offered a 14-year-old girl €1,000 for sex has been jailed for two years.

James Connors (35), of Greenhills Grove, Tallaght, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to offering or promising to give a child money for their sexual exploitation on June 6th, 2021.

The court heard that Connors claimed he did not realise the girl was 14 when he approached her and said he would give her €1,000 after they “made love”. The incident happened while the teenager was sitting in a hotel waiting for her mother.

Connors continued to talk to the girl until she got up and ran away. The girl then met her mother, told her what happened and they returned to the hotel to find Connors still there.

READ MORE

Garda Amber Dunne told Pieter Le Vert BL, prosecuting, that the girl identified Connors to her mother and she took a photo of him and contacted gardaí. The court heard Connors told the woman: “I didn’t do anything to your daughter. I just offered her €1,000.″

He ran off but the mother followed him to a nearby park where Connors punched and kicked her as he tried to make good his escape. He then urinated in the park before jumping over a fence.

Garda Dunne confirmed a passerby intervened in an attempt to assist. He had spotted Connors earlier and thought there was “something unusual about him”. Connors swore on the graves of his relatives that he never touched the girl. He said he had offered her money and that was as far as it had gone. He then pulled down his trousers and defecated, the court heard.

Garda Dunne said gardaí arrived and Connors was arrested. He claimed he had no idea what age the girl was and said if he had known she was only 14 he would never have said that to her.

Connors has 71 previous convictions, most of which are from the District Court.

Garda Dunne agreed with Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, that Connor was disgusted by his behaviour when he realised how old the girl actually was. Counsel said her client had “enormous difficulty with drink and drugs” and had lost his father and a sister to suicide.

Judge Martin Nolan said Connors had approached the girl and offered her money for sex. He said he continued talking to her and then later had a physical altercation with the child’s mother. He acknowledged Connors has a “long history of difficulties” but said he deserved a custodial sentence and jailed him for two years.

  • Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
  • Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
  • Our In The News podcast is now published daily – Find the latest episode here
LATEST STORIES