Praise for man who put Facebook friends’ pics on porn site

A 22-year-old man who uploaded the Facebook profile pictures of 19 girls to a pornographic site was praised by a judge for the progress he was making under the care of the Probation Services.

At Ennis District Court, Judge Patrick Durcan told Evan Meehan: “I want to compliment you on the work being done. I’m sure it is quite tedious — it is for your benefit and for society’s benefit.”

Judge Durcan made his comments after reading a probation report on the Shannon man.

At the last hearing in the case in February, Judge Durcan said Meehan must receive professional assistance for issues he had to deal with.

Addressing Meehan earlier this year, Judge Durcan said: “I am putting you on a particular course of action. I want to see that it is complied with and complied with seriously.

“If it is not, I will have no hesitation in imposing a prison sentence. It is a matter for you.”

In the case, Meehan, of Dernish Lawn, Shannon, pleaded guilty to uploading 30 photos of local teenage girls to a pornographic site between October 2013 to the end of June 2014.

The 30 charges relate to 19 girls, with 17 having Shannon addresses and two others living in the nearby villages of Sixmilebridge and Newmarket-on-Fergus.

All of the girls were Facebook friends of Meehan while most had gone to the same secondary school in Shannon that Meehan had attended.

Meehan acted alone in the crime and a number of the captions accompanying the photos described the girls engaging in various sexual acts with their fathers.

The offences took place during a period when Meehan was aged 19 and 20.

The offences came to light after a number of girls presented themselves to Shannon Garda Station on June 30, 2014.

Meehan, the court heard, had no previous convictions.

His solicitor Stiofán Fitzpatrick had told the court previously: “Mr Meehan was 19 at the time of the offences.

“He was someone who wasn’t extroverted. He was very much introverted and during his formative years in school, he would describe himself as being very much on his own and being a loner.”

Mr Fitzpatrick said Meehan had attended counselling sessions.

Judge Durcan said Meehan’s total co-operation with gardai and having no previous convictions were very commendable.

Judge Durcan further adjourned the case to November 22 and remanded Meehan on continuing bail to that date.