'Snapchat a haven for paedophiles': Cork sex offender messaged girl hours after prison release

A 15-year ban included prohibitions on him contacting any child under the age of 18 or going within 50 metres of a school or where children congregate

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026 - 17:42

Court Reporter

A 51-year-old Mitchelstown man sent a sexual Snapchat message to a schoolgirl within three hours of his prison release from a sentence for a sexual assault despite strict conditions on him under the Sex Offenders Register.

When Detective Garda David Barry questioned Anthony Quigley of Roche’s Heights, Mitchelstown, County Cork, about this latest of many offences he admitted using the ID, SusieLOL as a decoy and said to gardaí: “Snapchat is like a haven for paedophiles”.

The Snapchat message that he sent to a teenaged girl on September 15, 2025, used a popular song but altered to words to make them sexually suggestive.

“It was sent within three hours of his release from prison on September 15… During interviews he said he was fully aware of the requirements under the act and the order he was subjected to,” Det. Garda Barry said.

The order was imposed one year ago by Judge Dermot Sheehan and included prohibitions on Anthony Quigley contacting any child under the age of 18 or going within 50 metres of a school or such places where children congregate. This ban was for 15 years from February 2025.

On February 24, 2025, he was sentenced for a sexual assault and released from custody before 11am on Monday, September 15, 2025. By 2.03pm he was at home in Mitchelstown, his phone charged and a lewd message sent to a schoolgirl in County Cork.

Offences committed against a 16-year-old boy dated back to shortly before he was sentenced in February last year. Between February 10 and 15, 2025, Anthony Quigley was involved in WhatsApp text message exchanges with the teenaged autistic boy, numbering 214 messages.

The boy had contacted the accused first, asking him to buy a vape for him. However, included in the 84 messages that Anthony Quigley sent were two memes of adult pornography and a photograph of his penis.

John Devlin, defence barrister, said of Anthony Quigley: “He suffered significant head injuries in a car accident 20 years ago affecting his speech and memory.” Ray Boland, defence senior counsel, said a psychiatric report had been prepared on the accused back in 2019 but that an updated report may be necessary.

Judge Sinéad Behan said at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday she would need an updated report to address why these type of offences were occurring, assessing future risk and the danger he posed to himself and others. “This is beyond being depressed or having a drug addiction,” the judge said. Sentencing was adjourned until April 28.

Anthony Quigley spoke from the dock to ask, “Would you let me out on bail?” Judge Behan said: “There is no question of you getting out on bail.”

The 51-year-old has 68 previous convictions including four for sexual assault, six for common assault, 13 for harassment or stalking, 12 for sending indecent messages, three for making hoax calls and 12 for public order offences.

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