ANTHONY CULLINANE FROM TIPPERARY SENTENCED TO FOUR YEARS FOR SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF TEEN GIRLS IN IRELAND AND CANADA

In a significant case that has shocked the community of Clonmel, County Tipperary, Anthony Cullinane, aged 35, has been handed down a four-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to multiple charges related to the sexual exploitation of young girls. The offences, which spanned over several years, involved manipulative online behavior and the production and possession of explicit images of minors.

The court proceedings revealed that Cullinane, residing at 158 Willow Park in Clonmel, engaged in a calculated scheme to exploit two teenage girls, one in Ireland and the other in Canada. He used a fake online profile, pretending to be a teenage boy, to establish contact with the victims. The Canadian girl, aged 16, and the Irish girl, aged 14, were both deceived into believing they were communicating with peers of their own age. The court heard that Cullinane’s actions were premeditated and sinister, with a clear intent to manipulate and exploit these vulnerable minors.

The Canadian victim, who was volunteering on a peer-to-peer support website aimed at helping teenagers facing difficulties, first came into contact with Cullinane in 2015. She was under the impression that she was speaking to a 13-year-old boy who claimed to have been sexually abused by his family. Over time, Cullinane began to persuade her to send explicit photographs of herself, repeatedly requesting images of her breasts. The victim later confided that she felt