A MAN has been sentenced at Bishop Street Courthouse in Derry for attempting to communicate sexually with children online.
Michael McMonagle, 42, was sentenced to nine months in prison and nine on licence for 14 charges of attempted sexual communication with a child and attempting to cause or incite a child between 13 and 16 to engage in a sexual activity, including penetration.
“Our Child Internet Protection Team work in online spaces so that we can catch paedophiles, hopefully before they traumatise and harm children in our communities,” said Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher.
Devices seized
An operation led by the PSNI’s Child Internet Protection Team discovered that for over 15 months from May 2020, McMonagle interacted with a number of ‘child’ profiles between the age of 12 and 14.
He quickly turned the conversation to that of a sexual nature and in August 2021 attempted to get what he believed to be multiple children aged 14 and under to perform sexual acts.
Detectives attended McMonagle’s home address on August 19, 2021 with a warrant and a number of electronic devices were seized to capture evidence of the chat logs, images and identified usernames he was using online.
Mr McMonagle was interviewed and charged to attend court in relation to identified offences.
He pleaded guilty on September 23, 2024 and was sentenced on Friday.
‘Predator’
“It is by no means an easy job but a rewarding one when we are able to bring offenders like McMonagle before the courts as we have done so today,” said DCS Fisher.
“McMonagle is a predator who was combing the internet for underage victims.
“Let this serve as a warning, we are everywhere.
“If you are attempting to communicate with a child online in a sexual way, you will be caught and you will face the full force of the law when you are.”