Court hears man who was 'live-streamed by paedophile hunter group feels his life is over'
A court was told a man live-streamed by a 'paedophile hunter group' "feels his life is over".
Details were given to Antrim Magistrates' Court, sitting in Ballymena on Tuesday (August 12), regarding Michael Patrick Robinson (53), of Ard Na Smoll in Dungven. The defendant appeared via video link from a police station.
He is charged with attempting to have a 'sexual communication' with an online decoy who was pretending to be a 14-year-old boy. The charge relates to between July 18 and August 10 this year.
A PSNI officer said police were contacted by a group on Sunday (August 10) after they attended the defendant's address and "confronted" the defendant.
Police were provided with chat logs from an "online dating app" and "WhatApp" between the defendant and a decoy pretending to be a 14-year-old boy. The chats were "sexually explicit".
The officer said on July 22 the decoy told the defendant he was "14 years old" but the defendant "sent messages of a sexual nature".
"From the chatlog it is quite disturbing some of the things that are said. He was confronted by this group. The whole thing was streamed on Facebook live," said the officer.
When interviewed the defendant made "full admissions to the offence," the officer said. The officer said police had information that the defendant "may be subject to physical attack" if he returns to the address where he lived alone.
The officer said the defendant said "he feels his life is over so police would have concerns that he is going to harm himself".
The officer said if the defendant had a bail address outside of Dungiven with conditions it would not be objected to by police.
A defence lawyer said the defendant had gone on a "dating app, a completely legitimate dating app".
Robinson was given £500 bail to an address to be approved by police. He is not to be in possession of any internet-enabled device and he is not have contact with anybody under the age of 18. He was to remain in custody until an address is found at that stage he will have to report to a police station twice a week.
The case was adjourned to Limavady Magistrates Court on September 3.