A Clare man has pleaded guilty to sending lewd pictures of himself to three "random" females around the country and committing a solo sex act in public on the early Galway to Limerick train service.
At Ennis District Court, Sgt Louis Moloney said one of the injured parties who witnessed the 39-year-old man masturbating on the 6.15am Galway to Limerick service on February 20th videoed the incident and handed the recording over to gardaí as evidence in the case.
Sgt Moloney said gardaí boarded the train in Gort after a complaint was received about an indecent incident which occurred on the early train service between Oranmore and Athenry.
Sgt Moloney said two people who witnessed the incident made statements to gardaí.
The offence on the train came only nine days before the man made his first appearance in court on March 1st over sending lewd images of himself to females.
In relation to the first offence, the man randomly selected a Kerry woman’s phone number before sending her a lewd image of himself on October 16th, 2020.
Sgt Moloney said the woman made a complaint to gardaí in Killarney over the image she received at 12.50am on October 16th, 2020, from a man she did not know.
In another case, the man pleaded guilty on May 1st, 2021, of intentionally engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature by sending an image of his erect penis via WhatsApp to a female living in Limerick in such a manner as to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person.
The man also pleaded guilty to intentionally engaging in offensive conduct of a sexual nature on May 4th, 2021, by sending an image of his erect penis via WhatsApp to another female living in Dublin in such a manner as to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person.
The charges are contrary to Section 45(3) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.
Sgt Moloney said the man made full admissions when interviewed by gardaí.
Judge Alec Gabbett said he wanted a Probation Report into the case, remarking: "I need to know what is going on here."
Solicitor Stiofan Fitzpatrick, for the accused, said he had a similar case before where medication was required to deal with a client’s compulsion.
Mr Fitzpatrick said all of these incidents occurred when his client was "highly intoxicated", adding that his client sent the images to random individuals and the women who made complaints all live outside Co Clare.
He added: "There was no sophistication here. His number was easily identifiable and traceable to him."
Judge Gabbett, who previously imposed reporting restrictions on identifying the accused and the injured parties, remanded the man on continuing bail to next March for a Probation Report.
The man’s bail conditions include that he does not engage with social media communications with any females unknown to him; be of good behaviour; sign on weekly at his local Garda station, and have no direct or indirect contract with the alleged injured parties.
