A judge said a former soldier, who pleaded guilty to possessing and producing child sexual abuse content, committed a “truly dreadful crime” and “knew well that the activity he was engaged in was depraved”.
Cormac Browne, aged 23, of Camas, Newcastle West, who served in Lebanon with the Irish Defence Forces, told gardai: “I am disgusted with myself.”
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Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard Mr Browne got “sucked into the darker aspects of the internet during Covid when he was lonely” and later became “addicted to masturbating”.
He pleaded guilty to seven charges – possession of child pornography; two counts of production of child pornography on the Monkey app; inciting two girls to participate in a pornographic performance on the app; attending a pornographic performance of a girl on the app and two counts of using information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child. Monkey, according to its website, is “a free live and random video chat app that helps you meet new people instantly”.
The case was outlined by Lily Buckley BL, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, with the assistance of Detective Garda Orlaith Ryan. Mr Browne was represented by Joseph McMahon BL, instructed by solicitor Sarah Ryan.
The investigation was sparked by intelligence received by gardai from the International Centre for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) in America.
ICMEC were notified by Snapchat of an account linked to Mr Browne which Snapchat closed after “an image of child pornography was uploaded”.
Ms Buckley said gardai secured a warrant under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act and searched his home in Newcastle West on April 9, 2023 during which an iPhone 8 was seized.
Four images and two videos of child sexual abuse content were found on Mr Browne’s phone. Det Garda Ryan said two of the images were category 1 and two were category 2.
The detective told the court that category 1 is a child under 17 engaging in explicit sexual activity or witnessing it, and category 2 is a child under 17 exposing genital and/or anal region. One image was of a toddler, one of a 14-year-old girl, one of two girls aged three and six and a photo of a 12-year-old boy and 14-year-old girl. All ages are approximate.
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Ms Buckley said the two videos were recordings of a live video chat on the Monkey app between Mr Browne and underage girls. One video featured two girls, aged 14, and the other, one girl, aged 12. One video was category 1 and the second video was category 2.
Ms Buckley said gardai were able to confirm from a video that Mr Browne was in his bedroom due to a Munster poster on his wall. The videos and images were not sent to others.
The prosecuting barrister said Mr Browne was arrested on December 3, 2023 and gave gardai his phone, passwords and pin codes. No child sex abuse images or videos were found on this phone.
Ms Buckley said he told gardai, “I am disgusted with myself”; “what I did was shocking and terrible” and “I don’t know how old they are but they are not old enough”.
Ms Buckley told Judge Simon McAleese that from Mr Browne’s interviews with gardai, he said he got sucked into the darker aspects of the internet during Covid when he got lonely and started chatting with people online.
“He used the Monkey app for online sex – to assist him in masturbating. He became addicted to masturbating – three / four times a day. He became indiscriminate on how he got his fix.
“He went on Monkey app with the intention of masturbating to adult women but didn’t skip to the next person when it was female children. He said he ‘didn’t have the willpower (not to skip onto the next video)’,” said Ms Buckley, who added that Mr Browne “broke down” during interviews with gardai and officers calling to his door marked a “watershed moment” in helping him to stop.
Mr McMahon, barrister for Mr Browne, said there are a lot of mitigating factors, not least his client’s previous good character.
“He has pleaded guilty, made full and frank admissions to gardai, was open and honest about his difficulties with masturbating and provided passwords and pin codes. He knew what he was doing was wrong but did not have the willpower to stop.
“He served in the army, completing a tour of duty in Lebanon. He voluntarily discharged himself,” said Mr McMahon, who also spoke of Mr Browne’s involvement in a GAA and rugby club.
The defence barrister handed in a letter to Judge McAleese from Mr Browne’s mother in which she outlines that her belief is that his difficulties started during Covid from loneliness and isolation.
“His parents in no way condone what he did but are here to support him,” said Mr McMahon.
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Judge McAleese said it is every parent’s worst nightmare.
Mr McMahon cited a probation report in which Mr Browne accepted his behaviour was morally and legally wrong and denied a sexual interest in young girls.
Judge McAleese said it was a “truly dreadful crime” and “he knew well that the activity he was engaged in was depraved”.
“He understood children were vulnerable to sexual abuse and as a consumer of child pornography he preyed on their vulnerability.
“As a serving member of Óglaigh na hÉireann his duty was to protect and defend. His misconduct in this matter is additionally disgraceful by virtue of his betrayal of his duty. He resigned his membership of the Irish Army as he realised that it was no longer tenable. The loss of his employment was entirely self-inflicted,” said Judge McAleese.
The judge said Mr Browne’s sexual frustration and matters connected to it being relevant to his offending is “frankly trite and I reject any such suggestion”.
The judge imposed 18 months jail sentences on count 1, 3, 5 and 7 which he suspended in full for three years subject to a number of conditions including ongoing engagement with the Probation Service, attending a programme for sex offenders and have no unsupervised contact with children.
Judge McAleese ordered Mr Browne carry out 240 hours of community service, if deemed suitable by the Probation Service, in lieu of an 18 month jail term on count 2 – production of child pornography.
Mr Browne has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register.
