JOSEPH MCDERMID SENTENCED IN COUNTY ANTRIM FOR PAEDOPHILE OFFENCES

A man from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, identified as Joseph McDermid, has been sentenced to a 21-month prison term after being found guilty of engaging in multiple paedophile-related activities. The sentencing took place in a court where Judge Roseanne McCormick KC emphasized the severity of McDermid’s actions and the danger posed by his conduct.

Judge McCormick stated that if McDermid had been communicating with actual children rather than decoys, the punishment would have been significantly harsher. She pointed out that the defendant’s offending involved five separate individuals, and his communications revealed an attempt to involve one child in the sexual exploitation of another. The judge expressed concern over McDermid’s attempts to justify his actions by claiming boredom and suggesting that the children involved enjoyed the interactions, describing such excuses as deeply troubling.

The court ordered that McDermid’s 21-month sentence be divided equally between incarceration and supervised release on licence. The defendant, who resides at Victoria Court in Whitehead, admitted to multiple charges, including five counts of attempting to cause or incite children to engage in sexual activity, and five counts of attempting to communicate sexually with children. These offences spanned from April 21, 2021, to January 31 of the following year.

In addition, McDermid pleaded guilty to single charges of causing a child to watch a sexual act, attempting to possess an indecent image of a child, and attempting to meet a child following sexual grooming. The investigation revealed that McDermid believed he was speaking to a 14-year-old girl, but in reality, he was communicating with a decoy from a group known as Predators Exposed.

As the communications progressed, they became increasingly explicit, with exchanges of sexual images. One message from McDermid read: “I know you are 14 but I love you. Would you send a naughty photo for me?”

When police from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) examined his devices, they uncovered multiple sexually explicit conversations, including indecent images of a five-year-old girl and photographs of her and her sister in swimsuits. The investigation revealed that McDermid employed similar tactics in other chats with decoys, demonstrating a pattern of predatory behavior.

During a second interview in August last year, McDermid expressed remorse, stating he was “disgusted with himself and ashamed,” but he claimed he never intended to meet the children and insisted that his comments were “just joking.” He also denied having any sexual interest in children, asserting that the underwear he mentioned belonged to his ex-partner, who he described as “very petite.”

The prosecution highlighted the number of victims, the duration of the offending, and the escalation of his crimes as aggravating factors. Conversely, the defense argued that McDermid’s guilty pleas and previously unblemished record indicated remorse. His legal team suggested that these factors should be taken into account, although the judge remained skeptical of his claims of innocence regarding sexual interest in minors.

In addition to his prison sentence, McDermid is required to register as a sex offender for ten years and will be subject to a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for the same period, reflecting the court’s concern over public safety and the need for ongoing monitoring of his conduct.