Man sent messages of sexual nature to girl

Thirty-one-year-old Mark Larmour from Lakeview Park, Dungannon, admitted communicating with the girl for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification on June 8, 2019.

He was also fined £200 with a £15 offender levy on a charge of possessing a quantity of cannabis on October 10, 2019.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan told Larmour at Dungannon Magistrates Court on Friday that sentencing had been “a difficult exercise.” He warned the defendant that if he breached Probation he would be brought back before the court and he would sentence him to six months imprisonment.

Mr Ranaghan also put in place a Sexual Offences Prevention Order with the instruction that Larmour must not delete the history on any electronic device he uses. He added it was the court’s duty to protect children from people like the defendant.

Prosecuting counsel said the girl had identified the defendant to police after she had received the messages via Snapchat. She added police later found a bag of cannabis, containing 2.89grams, in the defendant’s house.

Defence lawyer Noel Dillon said the offending had occurred in the course of an evening after Larmour had responded to a question by the girl. Mr Dillon said the defendant deeply regrets the distress he caused the child and entered a plea at the earliest opportunity.