Two year sentence for man who befriended girl, 13, online before having sex with her

on 11/03/2013 13:53:44

A 25 year old Dublin man has been jailed for two years for having sex with a 13-year-old girl that he befriended on social networking site, Bebo.

Graham Doyle of St Ronan's Way, Clondalkin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two charges of defilement of a child at his home on April 29, 2011.

Doyle used a fake name and photo and claimed to be 19 when he first befriended a 12 year old girl on Bebo.

They swapped phone numbers and over several months sent each other texts - some of a sexual nature before meeting up outside his local supermarket in Clondalkin.

The 23 year old Doyle then brought the then 13 year old girl back to his parents' home and had sex with her a number of times in his bedroom before offering her vodka.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said the most disturbing aspect of the case was the use of social networking sites to groom the injured party, while she found the gift of alcohol smacked of a 'payoff'.

She took into consideration Doyle's early guilty plea and his willingness to engage in therapy and imposed a 3.5 years sentence with 18 months suspended.