Sex offender assaulted teenager at ‘audition’

A sex offender who posed as a casting agent for TV programmes on the social networking site Bebo and set up an ‘audition’ for a 16-year-old boy who he then sexually assaulted, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years at Trim Circuit Court.

The court heard that Anthony Luckwill, aged 40, from Clondalkin in Dublin, had lived at an address in Navan at the time of the offence on Jun 7, 2011, and the teen had been brought to his home for the ‘audition’ by his mother.

The court heard Luckwill had created what looked like a document from a fictitious casting agency that he sent to the boy and which arranged a ‘casting’ interview for him at Luckwill’s home.

The court heard Luckwill had prompted the boy into contacting this casting agency, called Apple Casting Europe.

He also sent him sexually suggestive messages in relation to what might occur at auditions and said it was common for casting agents to have sexual relations with potential actors, the court heard.

He told the teen he had worked on Ballykissangel and Skins; the latter was a favourite programme of the teenager.

“I told myself I had to do what he wanted if I wanted to get on,” the victim told gardaí.

His mother had brought him to the ‘audition’, but became slightly concerned and took Luckwill aside. The court heard she told him that if anything inappropriate happened, she would kill Luckwill.

She left him with her son for the audition and afterwards, he did not tell her what had happened.

In a victim impact report, he said he had been in considerable physical pain and what happened had a devastating effect.

“My dream was to pursue a career in drama... I met him online and felt he could help me with my dream... he shattered my dream.”

He said he is now a different person and has had and will continue to need counselling. He has attempted suicide on a number of occasions and said “my mother cannot get over her guilt”.

In relation to that crime, Luckwill pleaded guilty to defilement of a child under the age of 17.

He was also sentenced yesterday for the sexual assault of a 13-year-old boy on Feb 22, 2011, which took place after he asked the boy’s mother if he had an interest in acting or modelling.

She left him with Luckwill for 30 minutes, during which time he made the boy undress and measured all parts of him.

He told the boy he was measuring him for a football strip.

Gardaí were notified by the mother of the 13-year-old and, in a follow-up search of Luckwill’s apartment, they seized his computer and saw the communication via Bebo with the 16-year-old.

The 13-year-old has been left unable to sleep and partly blames himself for what happened, the court heard.

Luckwill has a series of convictions for possession of child pornography in Ireland and in Wales. In October last year, he was jailed for five months by Guernsey Magistrates Court for incitement of a child under the age of 14 to commit an act of gross indecency which was committed while on bail for the offences in Meath.

He has been placed on the sex offender’s register for life in Britain, the court heard.

Caroline Biggs, defending, said Luckwill had saved the victims the ordeal of a trial and he has taken part in counselling sessions but will need extensive and intensive help.

He has a history of mental health difficulties and, as a child, he was diagnosed as having symptoms of Asperger’s.

Passing sentence, Judge Michael O’Shea said the offence involving the 13-year-old was, “was humiliating, horrific, disgraceful, and disgusting”.

In relation to the 16-year-old, he said it was “calculating and cunning by the defendant”, and the casting and audition were “simply motivated for sexual purposes. It was cunning, calculating, and it was an act of a predator... and the prey was this unfortunate victim”.

The judge said that a psychological report stated that Luckwill’s original view was that children under the age of consent were able to give their consent to sexual acts with adults. It was also the accused’s view that children are not exploited in child pornography.

In relation to the 16-year-old, the judge jailed Luckwill for two-and-a-half years. For the offence involving the 13-year-old, he imposed a two-year term. The sentences are to run consecutively and Luckwill has been placed on the sex offenders register indefinitely. Luckwill will also be subject to two years of post-release supervision.