Dublin man jailed for exposing son to online pornography

A 27-year-old man has been sentenced to three years in prison for making his three-year-old son watch sexual content online. The man was found guilty of sexual offenses, including masturbating in front of a child and showing the child explicit material. The case came to light after a British police force contacted Irish authorities in October 2023. They were investigating a woman who streamed sexual activity online and encouraged viewers to perform acts in front of children. The Dublin man was identified in a video linked to this investigation. During the court proceedings, it was revealed that the man recorded himself engaging in sexual acts while his son was present. A local detective described a disturbing 17-minute video showing the man interacting with the child while exposing him to sexual content. Judge Martin Nolan, who heard the case, emphasized the man's failure to protect his child. He noted that the man's behavior was "inexplicable and reprehensible," and highlighted the breach of trust involved. The judge originally set a six-year sentence, which was reduced to three years after considering mitigating factors. The man admitted to his actions, expressing shame and claiming he thought he was speaking to a girl online. He stated that he had been dealing with mental health issues and was under the influence at the time of the incident. Despite showing remorse, he emphasized that he did not intend to harm his son. The defendant has a history of legal issues and was living in homeless accommodation at the time of sentencing. His current contact with his child is supervised, and he has received psychological evaluations indicating his vulnerable mental state.