A former Sinn Fein press officer has been jailed for nine months after pleading guilty to a series of child sex offences.
Michael McMonagle, 43, from Limewood Street in Londonderry, was sentenced at Derry Crown Court to nine months in custody and nine months under statutory supervision.
He made no comment as he arrived at court earlier in the case that plunged Sinn Fein into controversy as it faced questions around safeguarding, and how two other party press officers provided references for McMonagle for a subsequent job with the British Heart Foundation.
Derry Crown Court heard on Friday how McMonagle had communicated with a number of online accounts which were run by police officers posing as six children aged between 12 and under 16 years.
McMonagle had originally faced 15 charges, including attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.
The offences relate to various dates between May 2020 and August 2021.
He pleaded guilty to 14 of the 15 offences, and another charge was left on the books.
In his sentencing remarks, Judge Neil Rafferty KC said McMonagle had a number of profiles on various platforms, including Snapchat, but had communicated with a “decoy” profile run by police officers.
He said there had been sexualised conversations online, and that during police interview, McMonagle described the content as having disgusted him.
In a pre-sentence report, he said McMonagle “deeply regretted the hurt and problems he had caused for other people - which includes his wife and immediate family as well as others”.
“In his own words, he stated, ‘I didn’t connect the words on a screen to real life. I didn’t think it was real. I was detached from reality. I am totally ashamed, it is not me in the real world,” he said.
Judge Rafferty said the offending had taken place over a “reasonably extended period” and involved six separate victims, the defendant sent body images of himself and that he “gave instruction on how to masturbate” - and noted the significant disparity in the age of the defendant and victims.
He also noted McMonagle’s guilty plea, although not at the first opportunity and his struggle with the enormity of his offending and the public nature of it.
A defence lawyer pointed out the defendant was not charged with any grooming offences, never arranged to meet a child, never met a child and never actually communicated directly with a child.
“His offending nowhere approaches the worst type of offending of this particular nature. I’m not suggesting that the offences aren’t serious,” he said, claiming his client had been victim of a witch hunt.
He said the case had been referenced in both the Stormont Assembly and Dail Eireann, claiming the situation had been “politicised”.
“It’s purely and simply because of his past association with a political party,” he said, querying whether the high level of attention on the case placed pressure on the judge.
Judge Rafferty responded questioning whether during all his time on the bench, was it thought he had been influenced in any other way than the proper application of legal principles to cases whatever the surrounding circumstances, to which the defence lawyer said: “Absolutely not.”
The defence lawyer went on to say the defendant has clearly indicated a “significant level of shame for what he has done”, and described the offences as “those of intent”.
He also said a “serious attempt” had been made on McMonagle’s life earlier this week with a petrol bomb thrown at a house.
Judge Rafferty sentenced McMonagle concurrently on all counts to nine months in custody and nine months on statutory supervision.
McMonagle worked for a time as a newspaper journalist in Derry before being employed as a Sinn Fein press officer in the north west.
He was also an adviser for the party at Stormont for a number of years.
In a statement after his first court appearance, Sinn Fein said that as soon as it became aware of his arrest, he was “immediately suspended from employment and party membership”.
Speaking outside court, Detective Chief Superintendent Lindsay Fisher said McMonagle is a “predator who was combing the internet for underage victims”.
“Our child internet protection team work in online spaces so that we can catch paedophiles, hopefully before they traumatise and harm children in our communities,” she said.
“It is by no means an easy job but a rewarding one when we are able to bring offenders like McMonagle before the courts as we have done so today.
“McMonagle is a predator who was combing the internet for underage victims.
“Let this serve as a warning, we are everywhere. If you are attempting to communicate with a child online in a sexual way, you will be caught and you will face the full force of the law when you are.”