Man fined €600 for publishing teenager’s name on social media

A 35-year-old man has been convicted for contravening the Children Act in naming a teenage convicted murderer on social media.

Glen Dunphy told gardaí he sought out and published the name of a teenager convicted of the murder of a girl, because he had daughters himself, a court was told.

Dunphy of Lartigue Village, Listowel, was summoned before Listowel District Court, in November, on a single allegation that he had published the name of the teenager – whose identity is protected by the Children Act 2001 – who was in proceedings before the Central Criminal Court, on his Twitter account .

Online search

Sgt Kieran O'Connell told Judge David Waters the matter was "indictable" but the Director for Public Prosecutions had said it could be dealt with in the District Court.

Garda Adrian Gildea in evidence told how following the conviction of two teenage boys last year for the murder of a teenage girl, Dunphy did an online search in an effort to uncover the name.

He then posted the name on a Twitter thread, which was speculating on the boys’ identities.

Angry at killing

Solicitor Patrick Mann put it to the garda that his client only sought out the boy's name because he was angry over the killing and because he had daughters of his own. The garda agreed.

Judge David Waters said the charge was serious. The judge said there was no doubt Dunphy knew he was doing something he should not be doing.

Dunphy pleaded guilty in Listowel on Thursday to the single charge. He was convicted and fined €600.