A PROLIFIC IRISH sex offender has been jailed after he approached thousands of teenage boys in a sustained campaign to solicit indecent images.
Patrick McDonald, 23, of Crumlin, Northern Ireland was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison at Reading Crown Court following a National Crime Agency investigation.
Speaking at the court, Judge Grainger said McDonald had targeted “thousands of children”, adding: “The scale of the offending was breathtaking.”
McDonald, who was also placed on the sex offender's register for life and put under an indefinite sexual harm prevention order, attempted to establish contact with potential victims online using Facebook profiles, posing as fictitious teenage girls.
If they replied to his first approach McDonald would quickly begin sending sexual messages including explicit pictures of women’s bodies.
He incited a number of children to send him indecent pictures of themselves and in many cases to engage in sexual activity.
Following McDonald’s arrest, he admitted to NCA officers he had offended against at least five hundred victims, though the real number is believed to be higher.
He pleaded guilty last year to making indecent images of children and inciting children to engage in sexual acts.
The NCA has found no evidence he committed contact offences, but is working with the police to identify and safeguard the children targeted by McDonald.
Martin Ludlow, operations manager at the NCA, said: “We have identified and brought to justice a prolific offender who has exploited the trust of many, many children. In cases like these their welfare is our paramount consideration.
“We and our partners remain determined to take action against criminals who exploit online tools and apps to abuse children."
