IAN KERNOHAN BANNED SEX OFFENDER FROM BALLYMENA AND COLERAINE REPEATEDLY BREACHES COURT ORDERS

In a series of alarming incidents spanning several years, Ian Kernohan, a known sex offender from Ballymena and Coleraine, has repeatedly violated court-imposed restrictions designed to protect the public from his predatory behavior.

Most recently, in June 2013, Kernohan was released from prison after serving part of a 30-month sentence. However, within just 24 hours of his release, he was back in custody, accused of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO). The breach involved contacting a vulnerable female through social media, specifically by visiting an internet cafe and reaching out to her via Facebook. This act was considered a violation of the strict conditions placed upon him to prevent further offending.

The Belfast Magistrates Court was informed of these allegations, and the judge promptly remanded Kernohan into custody. Prior to this, Kernohan had appeared at Belfast Crown Court three days earlier, where he was sentenced to five months in prison, part of a larger 30-month sentence. His release was granted due to the time he had already spent on remand, which effectively reduced his remaining jail time.

Despite his release, Kernohan’s troubles persisted. On Saturday, he appeared again before Belfast Magistrates Court, facing charges of breaching his SOPO on June 27, the day after his release. A police officer testified that authorities believed Kernohan was connected to the breach, and police opposed bail because his hostel placement had been withdrawn by probation services. The defense lawyer, upon hearing this new information, withdrew the bail application, and Kernohan was remanded into custody once more. He is scheduled to appear via videolink on July 3.

Looking back to October 2012, Kernohan’s criminal history reveals a disturbing pattern of predatory behavior. At that time, he was 26 years old and faced sentencing for indecently assaulting an eight-year-old girl in Ballymena over a decade earlier. The assault occurred when Kernohan was a teenager, and the victim was a primary school pupil. Believing he had evaded justice, Kernohan continued to commit other serious sex crimes, which led to his imprisonment in 2009 for two additional indecent assaults.

Further details emerged in November 2011, when Kernohan, then 25, admitted to grooming a vulnerable young student and tricking her into a secret relationship. The woman, aged 20, was unaware of Kernohan’s criminal past, which included two convictions for indecent assault on a teenage girl. Kernohan’s relationship with her began in May after they met on a dating website. He was later charged with breaching a court order that prohibited him from starting new relationships without informing his probation officer.

Earlier, in July 2011, Kernohan, aged 24, was refused bail after breaching a court order that banned him from forming relationships with women. He had contacted and started dating a 20-year-old woman from Co Down through a dating website, despite his restrictions. Court proceedings revealed that Kernohan, who was residing in a hostel in Belfast but originally from Coleraine, had also violated a Sexual Offences Prevention Order the previous year by enrolling in a Prince’s Trust scheme at Northern Regional College, Coleraine. The prosecution highlighted that Kernohan was awaiting trial on another indecent assault charge, emphasizing the ongoing danger he posed.

Back in July 2010, Kernohan’s criminal activities included working at a community center in Ballysally, where it was confirmed he had no access to children in care. Despite this, he was found to be in breach of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order after enrolling in a Prince’s Trust scheme at Northern Regional College, Coleraine, and coming into contact with minors during a work project at Focus on Family. He was serving a three-year probation period for an earlier offense against a six-year-old girl, illustrating a troubling pattern of predatory conduct that has persisted over many years and across multiple locations, including Ballymena and Coleraine.