Man defiled boy (13) who downloaded dating app to mother’s phone

A man has pleaded guilty to defiling a 13-year-old boy who he met on the internet after the teenager downloaded a dating app for homosexuals to his mother’s mobile phone.

Letterkenny Circuit Court heard the accused (30), from Co Donegal, travelled to the victim’s home after the pair chatted on Gaydar on April 13th, 2015.

The court was told that the boy’s mother left him at home with his siblings while she went out for a couple of hours with her partner. She gave him her mobile phone in case he needed to contact them urgently.

Garda Malcolm Hooks told the court that the boy downloaded the Gaydar app and created a fake profile on which he claimed he was 19.

On another part of the profile, the boy wrote: “I’m not a porn star I’m a 13-year-old.”

Within a short time, a meeting between the man and the boy had been arranged at the boy’s home. The man showered and then drove to the boy’s home, the court heard.

The man admitted in a later Garda interview that when the boy answered the door to him he thought he was aged “16 or 17”.

Garda Hooks said that when the boy was interviewed by specialist interviewers he claimed that the man forced him to perform oral sex. The boy’s mother returned unexpectedly during the encounter and witnessed what was happening.

The accused man’s sister gave evidence that up until this incident her family never knew he was homosexual. She added that he was deeply ashamed of what had happened and was willing to accept any punishment that came his way.

Colm Smyth SC, for the accused, said his client came from a very respectable family who were all shocked by what had happened.

He said a report from a forensic clinical psychologist found the man to be immature and introverted and that he had difficulty recognising that he was bisexual. The psychologist added that he found no evidence of any interest in paedophilia.

“I’m not that kind of person and I’m disgusted with myself. If I can fix this in any way I will,” the man told the psychologist.

Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case to hear evidence from the boy.