A 29-year-old man was given a suspended three-month sentence in Galway yesterday for having sex with a 14-year-old girl. Galway District Court heard that he had met the schoolgirl through an Internet chat room and had sex with her in a hotel a few days later.
Mark Gillick, Aughrim, Co Wicklow, had been charged with having unlawful carnal knowledge of a girl under 15 years of age, contrary to the Criminal Law Amendment Act, 1935, at the Ibis Hotel, Headford Road, Galway, on February 17th last year.
Det Garda John Moran, who arrested Gillick in the hotel bedroom on that date, said the accused was shocked when told the girl was just 14. He told the detective he would never have met her or had sex with her if he had known.
The girl, who was not named, had told Gillick she was 26 and a university lecturer. They had first contacted each other in an Internet chat room on February 8th and had exchanged numerous e-mails.
Mr Joe Naughton, defending, said his client was a "sensible, sober citizen" who was deeply upset by what happened. Judge John Garavan accepted totally that Gillick was under the misapprehension that the girl was older.