Courts / Dublin / Report

Jail for man who had sex with girl (14) he met on social media

Summary

David Hoban, aged 28, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to two charges of defilement of a child by having intercourse and oral sex with a 14‑year‑old girl he met on a social media site. The girl, who was found missing and later reported by her mother, claimed she had been raped by Hoban on three occasions. Detective Garda Paul O'Hara confirmed that Hoban was aware the girl was underage, though he did not realise her exact age until the day of his arrest. Hoban, who had 10 previous convictions, pleaded guilty and expressed remorse. Judge Martin Nolan noted the substantial age difference and that Hoban should have ceased contact when he became aware of the girl's youth. The court accepted his plea and imposed the three‑year sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Jail for man who had sex with girl (14) he met on social media. Charges or matters: two sample charges of defilement of a child by having intercourse and oral sex with the teenager on dates in June 2015. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• June 2015 Incident
• 2018-04-26 Publication

Why: " Another said "I like you a lot but things will never work out," to which the complainant replied "Why because I am too young? CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Sexual Offences Social Media Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report