Group targeting potential online child exploiters brought a convicted sex offender to a garda station after Facebook sting operation

In August 2024, Michael Macken was caught in highly sexualised conversations with nine different people he believed were teenage girls. The Facebook accounts were adults pretending to be young teens to expose potential child predators, and no children existed. Macken was charged with nine counts of communicating with intent to facilitate sexual exploitation of a child and pleaded guilty to sample counts. He was also charged with six counts of attempting to send sexually explicit material to a child and pleaded guilty to a sample count. The court heard he had prior convictions for sexual assaults of two young children. The judge described his conduct as really serious and deeply concerning, imposed two concurrent eight-year sentences, and suspended the final six months under probation supervision with electronic device scrutiny.

"In August 2024, Michael Macken (41) was caught having highly sexualised conversations with what he believed were nine different teenage girls. The Facebook accounts were adults pretending to be young teens in order to expose potential child predators and the "children" did not exist."

"Judge Orla Crowe said Macken was someone who clearly has "a deep sexual interest" and "a sexual proclivity towards young children". Judge Crowe said Macken's previous convictions were "very concerning" referring to the fact that he had two convictions for sexual assaults of two young children."

"She accepted that Macken has lower intellectual functioning, was living rough in a tent at the time and lived "a lonely existence". Judge Crowe said the offending was "really serious and deeply concerning" before she said a headline sentence of 10 years was warranted."

"The judge then imposed two concurrent sentences of eight years. She suspended the final six months of that sentence on condition that Macken remain under the supervision of The Probation Service for 18 months, during which time he is also to make any of his electronic devices available to gardaí for their scrutiny."

Read at Irish Independent