"Vulnerable" man sexually exploited teen girl he met online

A 36-year-old man from Donegal pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexually exploiting a 15-year-old girl he met on a youth mental health messaging application in late 2014. The court heard the accused initiated contact with the teenager on Talklife, an online peer-support platform, and the pair subsequently met on several occasions in Kildare and Dublin. In January 2015, he invited the girl to a Dublin apartment where they watched a film before he attempted sexual intercourse with her. The girl's family reported her missing and gardaí were notified. She was collected from a bus stop near the apartment the following morning. A second count of meeting a child for exploitation purposes was taken into account. The defence described the man as vulnerable with limited social skills, suffering from depression and anxiety. He has no previous convictions. Judge Melanie Greally adjourned sentencing to February 17.