Ex-Sinn Féin press officer Michael McMonagle sentenced to nine months in prison over child sex offences

McMonagle arrived at Bishop Street courthouse in Derry at around 10am on Friday, alone and carrying a suitcase, having been previously warned of the possibility of a custodial sentence.

The 42-year-old previously pleaded guilty to 14 charges, including attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.

Judge Neil Rafferty on Friday sentenced McMonagle to nine months in custody and nine months on license.

McMonagle from Limewood Street in the city's Bogside area, sat in the dock of court 4 looking straight ahead throughout most of the hearing looking sombre.

Mr Mallon KC defending McMonagle said that what must be made clear is that there should be "nothing eclipsing" the truth of the case and that he never "met a child" and in fact "never communicated with a child", saying that flies in the face of how this case is being reported.

He added that a report by a psychiatrist noted that the defendant had told the doctor this was the "first day he hadn't been mentioned on the Nolan show".

He also added that his client had been the "victim of a media witch hunt", saying that his client had been mentioned by the "First Minister and Taoiseach" and that the case had been "politicised".

Mr Mallon KC also said the attention the case had received was as a result of his client's former association with a political party.

Describing "misconceptions" about his offending he pointed to the mistaken identity pipe bomb attack last week that was targeted at his client.

"The absolute morons who would put a pipe bomb through the door of a house, faceless thugs, based on what they think he had done," he told the court.

Mr Mallon said that if they had known his client was conversing with a "decoy", that attack might not have taken place.

"It was an appalling thing to have happened and has no place in this society."

Judge Neil Rafferty refuted this and said he had never acted anything but properly adding, "so can we get on with it" in terms of the defence submissions.

Outlining the long list of offences facing the former press officer, Judge Rafferty said: "I am aware of the interest that this case has attracted", adding that there would be a written judgement issued in the case.

"A number of police services monitor decoy online profiles ... in this case they were in fact police officers".

McMonagle used cyphers to engage with the profiles he believed to be children using 'Derryman' and 'MickDerry'.

During the chats he sent pictures of his erect penis and encouraged the profiles to masturbate.

Messaging 'Amber' who he believed was a 12-year-old girl, he used explicit language.

He sent the decoy a picture of his lower half dressed in boxer shorts.

To a decoy he believed to be a 14-year-old, he discussed matters of a sexual nature, and in a later chat discussed her underwear.

During his first police interviews he admitted having the user names and being in chat rooms but said he did not speak knowingly to anyone under 16.

He also denied having a sexual interest in children.

The court heard his wife had separated from him following his conviction and it was heard he had the support of his mother but not his siblings and on two occasions had attempted to take his own life.

A pre-sentence report noted he felt "shame" and regretted the hurt caused to his family, saying he "didn't connect the words on screen to real life" adding that he was "mortified".

Judge Rafferty said: "The offending occurred over a reasonably extended period .. involved six separate victims, that he sent pictures of himself" adding that the youngest person was, he believed, just 12-years-old.

A number of mitigating factors, including the guilty plea and the defendant's clear record were also recorded.

McMonagle, who has no previous convictions, was made subject to a sexual offenders prevention order and banned from working with children.