BRENDAN GLYNN SENTENCED IN MAYO FOR CHILD SEX OFFENCES BY PAEDOPHILE HUNTERS

In March 2025, a man identified as Brendan Glynn, with no fixed address, was sentenced to three years in prison after being convicted of serious sexual offences involving minors in Mayo. The case unfolded in Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court, where Glynn appeared to face multiple charges related to the use of communication technology to send sexually explicit images and messages to young girls he believed to be under the age of 14.

Glynn, aged 57, pleaded guilty to six charges under Section 8 of the Sexual Offences Act. These charges stemmed from his actions of transmitting explicit material to minors via social media platforms. The court was informed that Glynn was apprehended by individuals involved in 'paedophile hunter' groups, who operated fake Facebook accounts pretending to be underage girls to catch predators. These groups had set up decoy profiles, and Glynn was caught after he sent sexually explicit images and messages to what he believed was a teenage girl.

The authorities acted swiftly after the Facebook pages' operators contacted Gardaí, revealing that Glynn had sent explicit content. Despite his arrest, Glynn continued to contact the decoy, demonstrating a troubling persistence in his offending behavior. It was revealed that Glynn, who previously worked in the hospitality industry in the UK, had been in custody since July of the previous year. His legal representative, Mr. Diarmuid Connolly, argued that Glynn had not yet benefited from prison and was a different person from the one who first appeared in court last year. Mr. Connolly expressed hope that Glynn was willing to change and seek redemption, urging the judge not to impose a custodial sentence.

However, Judge Eoin Garavan was unpersuaded by these pleas. The judge stated that he did not believe Glynn had genuinely changed. He referenced a psychologist’s report indicating that Glynn showed no motivation to address his offending and continued to minimize his actions. The judge criticized Glynn’s evasiveness with probation services, noting that he only engaged with them while in custody, and accused him of taking minimal responsibility, blaming his former wife for his issues. The judge emphasized that Glynn refused to accept the severity of his behavior and believed he would offend again.

The court heard detailed accounts of Glynn’s interactions with decoy profiles operated by child protection volunteers. Detective Garda John Lynsky testified that on February 21, 2023, Gardaí received information from Gillian Duffy, who volunteered with the Child Protection Agency in Ireland. Duffy operated a Facebook account pretending to be a 14-year-old girl and provided chat logs showing Glynn’s explicit messages sent between February 3 and February 19, 2023. The messages included sexually explicit language, and Glynn admitted he was from Castlebar and knew the girl was 14.

Further evidence was presented by Christina Gregory from Predator Exposure, another online child protection team. She revealed that Glynn had sent a friend request on Facebook on February 2, 2023, and exchanged 334 pages of messages with a decoy posing as a 13-year-old girl. These messages contained sexually explicit content, including images of a male genitalia, which Glynn forwarded to the decoy’s account.

Glynn was arrested on February 24, 2023, at a hotel in Castlebar. During questioning, he admitted to sending explicit photos and messages, expressing regret for his comments. The background images in his hotel room matched the images sent to the decoy, confirming his presence at the scene. Despite being released on bail, Glynn continued to communicate with decoy profiles, leading to further charges.

Additional chat logs from April 2023 to April 2024 were also presented, showing Glynn maintaining contact with decoy profiles claiming to be minors. These communications included sexually explicit language and images, further illustrating his ongoing predatory behavior. Glynn was subsequently charged with six counts related to these interactions.

During the sentencing hearing, Glynn’s lawyer highlighted personal circumstances, including letters from his sister and 95-year-old father expressing concern and support for his rehabilitation. It was also noted that Glynn’s marriage in the UK had ended, leading to depression and limited access to his young daughter. His lawyer requested leniency, emphasizing that Glynn had no prior convictions and was ashamed of his actions.

Judge Garavan, however, expressed skepticism about Glynn’s remorse. He pointed out that Glynn had attempted to contact another underage girl after being questioned by Gardaí in February 2023, contradicting claims of having learned his lesson. The judge stated that Glynn had refused to participate in a sex offenders’ program and showed no genuine intent to change.

Ultimately, the court imposed a three-year prison sentence, with no part of it suspended. The sentence was backdated to July 18, 2024, the date Glynn entered custody. Additionally, a one-year post-release supervision order was imposed, requiring Glynn to be monitored by the Probation Service after his release. The case underscores the ongoing concerns about online child exploitation and the efforts of law enforcement and child protection groups to combat such crimes in Mayo and beyond.