Man posed as talent agent to exploit children in Galway

A man posed as a talent agent to bring two children to a hotel room in Galway city, a court has heard.

Brendan Clifford, 38, asked a nine-year-old girl and her six-year-old brother to lie on the bed before taking photos of them.

The incident took place at the Imperial Hotel, Eyre Square, on 27 February 2022.

Clifford with a former address at an apartment at St Catherine’s Close, Carman Hall, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of children contrary to section 3 of the Criminal Law Sexual Offences Act 2017.

At Galway Circuit Court, Judge Brian O’Callaghan imposed a four-year prison sentence with the final 12 months on each count, to run concurrently.

He also ordered Clifford, who is now registered as blind, not to have use of any laptop or computer capable of downloading material related in any way to children, for five years.

Judge O’Callaghan said Clifford had used the internet “to set up the deceit” and said the incident at the hotel “was a well-planned intentional set of circumstances which were created by this man to cause damage”.

The court heard Clifford committed the offences a short time after being released from a three-and-a-half-year prison sentence for sexual exploitation and sexual assault.

That prison sentence was imposed in 2019 for offences committed in Tallaght Hospital where Clifford also pretended to be a child talent agent.

Judge O’Callaghan said it is “most disturbing ” that Clifford committed the Galway offences a short period after being released from custody.

Clifford is subject to the requirements of the Sex Offenders Act and a separate 2023 court order directing him not to have contact with children or go near schools, playgrounds or sports grounds, for ten years.

Outlining the background to the offences in Galway, garda Shane Travers told the court that the mother of the children noticed they were interested in acting and singing and she checked out a number of child talent websites.

She ended up in contact with a man who called himself ‘Jim’ who claimed to be from a legitimate child talent website.

The woman visited the website and believed it was genuine, the court heard.

Gda Travers told prosecuting counsel, Geri Silke BL, that the mother and her two children met the man claiming to be Jim at the Imperial Hotel.

He said he was holding auditions and asked her to bring three different outfits so the children could get changed.

Clifford told the mother she could not attend as “children do not perform well when their parents are present”, the court heard.

The court heard that after a few minutes the mother became concerned and, gda Travers said, spoke to staff who told her they had no guest called Jim and no auditions were taking place in the hotel.

The children were located in Clifford’s room.

Gda Travers said both children had their shoes off and appeared upset.

The matter was reported to gardaí and Clifford was arrested.

The court heard he answered some questions and did not comment about meeting the children or posing as someone from the website.

Gda Travers said items including sweets, chocolates and games were seized from Clifford’s room.

Gardaí also contacted the child talent website who told them Brendan Clifford had no involvement with them.

The children told specialist interviewers that they spent approximately 20 minutes in the room with Clifford who asked them to lie on the bed while he took photos.

The mother of the children declined to make a victim impact statement, gda Travers said.

He added that she is “distraught” by what happened and wants to put it behind her.

Defence barrister, Aisling Wall BL, asked the court to take into account her client’s guilty plea, which she said was of “enormous benefit”.

Counsel said Clifford had been fully engaged in the Safer Life sex offenders programme and has insight into his offending.

She said he admitted his harmful behaviour and “is disgusted by this”.

Counsel asked the court to keep in mind that Clifford, a separated father of three, “recognises that he has a very, very serious problem”.

In sentencing, Judge O’Callaghan said there was “no question of any impulsiveness or spontaneity” in Clifford’s offending, which was “considerably well planned”.

He said the aggravating factors included the threat to a nine-year-old and a six-year-old, the “level of deceit” and the distress caused to the parents.

He said Clifford’s cooperation with gardaí was “muted” and that his signed plea of guilty was of “exceptional value and benefit to all involved”.

Judge O’Callaghan said the court had evidence in the form of reports of Clifford’s attempts at rehabilitation.

He continued, “the court has no doubt this man has a clear intent of rehabilitation”.

He imposed four-year prison term with the final year suspended, subject to Clifford abiding by conditions on his release.