BRANDON GLYNN FROM MAYO SENTENCED TO THREE YEARS FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES IN CASTLEBAR

A 57-year-old man named Brendan Glynn, who was apprehended in Mayo by individuals involved in 'paedophile hunter' operations, has been sentenced to a three-year prison term. The case unfolded at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, where Glynn appeared to face charges related to the sexual exploitation of minors.

Glynn pleaded guilty to six charges under Section 8 of the Sexual Offences Act. These charges involved the use of communication technology to send sexually explicit images and messages to three girls he believed to be under the age of 14. The court was informed that Glynn was caught after the 'paedophile hunters' operated fake Facebook accounts, which purported to be teenage girls under 17, in an effort to trap individuals seeking to engage in illegal sexual activities.

The arrest occurred after the operators of these Facebook pages contacted Gardaí, the Irish police, following Glynn’s transmission of explicit material. Despite his arrest, Glynn continued to contact what he believed was a teenage girl, demonstrating a continued pattern of offending behavior.

It was revealed that Glynn, who has worked in the hospitality industry in the United Kingdom, has been in custody since July of the previous year. His legal representative, Mr. Diarmuid Connolly, argued that Glynn had not yet benefited from his time in prison and that he was a different person from the individual who first appeared before the court last year. Mr. Connolly expressed the hope that Glynn was willing to change and seek redemption for his actions, urging Judge Eoin Garavan not to impose a custodial sentence.

However, Judge Garavan was unpersuaded by these arguments. He stated that he did not believe Glynn had shown any genuine remorse or motivation to address his offending behavior. The judge referenced a psychologist’s report indicating that Glynn continued to minimize his actions and lacked the necessary motivation to change.

Consequently, Judge Garavan sentenced Glynn to three years in prison. The judge made it clear that the sentence would not be suspended in any part, and he backdated the sentence to July 18, 2024, the date Glynn entered custody. Additionally, a post-release supervision order was imposed, requiring Glynn to be monitored by the Probation Service for one year following his release from prison.