21 solicited sex from undercover detectives

PROWLING for sex with prostitutes ended in “remorse and significant embarrassment” for 21 men caught by female detectives in a Garda operation.

At Limerick District Court yesterday, all 21 aged between 23 and 67, who had up to now never come to the notice of the law, pleaded guilty to soliciting undercover gardaí for sex.

Six others arrested during the same garda operation are due in court at a later date.

The arrests came during the biggest single-street operation to crackdown on the sex industry in Limerick, which began on November 13. The most recent arrest was made on Sunday night.

The men pleaded guilty to charges of soliciting or importuning for the purpose of prostitution contrary to Section 7 of the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act 1993.

The accused were: Denis Enright, aged 52, of Dromin, Listowel; John Galvin, aged 63, of Carrigeen, Croom; Noel Mason, aged 51, Monaskeha, Clonlara, Co Clare; Valentin Munteaunu, aged 28, of Grange, Co Limerick; Wayne Murphy, aged 25, of Singland House, Ballysimon; Neil O’Brien, aged 27, Ballingoola, Grange; Krzysztof Poczynski, aged 27 of Crestwood, Kilteragh, Dooradoyle, Limerick; Gary Stack, aged 67, of Druimeen, Ennis; Adam Pustkowski, aged 36, of 61, Vartery Avenue, Raheen, Limerick; Derek Power, aged 49, of 27 Glantan, Castletroy; Patrick Quilty, aged 38 of Castletowen, Pallaskenry; Gearóid Phelan, aged 23, of 17 Castletroy View, Childers Road, Limerick; Conor Carey, aged 33, of Corelish, Pallasgreen; Eamonn Coffey, aged 41, of Mortalstown, Ardpatrick, Kilmallock; Michael Dorman, aged 51, of Borrigone, Askeaton; Serghei Boldescu, aged 31, of The Grove Hunstfield, Dooradoyle; Seamus Keane, aged 59, of Coolreiry, Castleconnell; James Lynch, aged 62, of Mayne, Kilmeady, Limerick; Dimitri Yakovlev, aged 40, Parkview Court, Lord Edward Street, Limerick; Makki Mutaz, aged 45, Foxes Bow, Limerick, and Michael Ryan, aged 63, of Knocka Lower, Drom, Templemore.

The Garda work had centred around Catherine St, Mallow St, Pery Square and Barrington St. Female detectives posed as prostitutes during the operation, code-named Freewheel.

One of those arrested asked for free legal aid as he was receiving social welfare. He was told by Judge Eamon O’Brien: “If you can pay for the services of the oldest profession then you can afford to pay for the services of the second oldest profession [lawyers].”

Sergeant Michelle Leahy outlined the circumstances in which each of the 21 men was arrested and charged. She said the arrest scenes moved through different and adjacent streets in the city centre late at night.

Judge O’Brien was told by Sgt Leahy that the offence carried a fixed penalty, of a fine, with a maximum of e470.

Judge O’Brien directed that each of the 21 who pleaded guilty donate €470 to Doras Lumini, which works to help asylum seekers. He remanded them on continuing bail to the same court on March 13 next when he said he would want to see receipts that the money had been donated by each accused.