Cork man who sent lewd message to schoolgirl hours after release from prison for sexual assault requests bail

Defendant complained he was sleeping on the floor of a cell due to overcrowding but judge told him the case could not move on due to solicitors' strike and remanded him in custody until July 17

Accused previously told gardaí: 'Snapchat is like a haven for paedophiles.' File picture: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images

A 51-year-old Mitchelstown man sent a sexual Snapchat message to a schoolgirl within three hours of his release from prison from a sentence for a sexual assault despite strict conditions asked to be let out on bail again on Monday, complaining he was sleeping on the floor of a cell because of overcrowding.

Anthony Quigley, of Roche’s Heights, Mitchelstown, Co Cork, appeared for sentencing on Monday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court but the case — like more than 20 cases against other defendants — had to be adjourned because of the solicitors’ dispute over the minister for justice’s plan to change free legal aid payments.

His case had been adjourned from February and a number of times since, until he was before the court again on Monday.

When Quigley’s case was adjourned until July 17 with him in custody, he asked Judge Dermot Sheehan: “Could you think about giving me bail. I am sleeping on the floor in the Midlands Prison, it’s not acceptable.” 

Judge Sheehan said: “As soon as the strike is over, you can make a bail application. Your solicitor would serve a notice of motion. I will remand you in custody until July 17.” 

Earlier in the accused man’s exchanges with the judge, Judge Sheehan explained to him: “Solicitors are on strike, we cannot move [the case] on.” 

Anthony Quigley said: “That’s a terrible situation.” The judge told him that a lot of other defendants were in the same situation.

Last February, when Detective Garda David Barry questioned Quigley 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 he sent to a teenage 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 50m 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 Co Cork.

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.