Strabane man arrested after paedophile hunter sting, court told

A Strabane man has appeared in court on charges relating to the attempted sexual communication with what he believed were young girls, following an online paedophile hunter sting.

John Michael Timoney (47), from Innisfree Gardens, is charged with two counts of intentionally attempting to sexually communicate with  two girls – one of whom he believed was aged 12 and the other 13 – for his own gratification.

He is further charged with arranging to have a child aged under 13 to engage in a sexual activity, The offending is alleged to have occurred on September 11.

No details surrounding the circumstances of the alleged offending were disclosed during the short hearing today at Enniskillen Magistrates Court, where Timoney spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the charges against him.

A police officer aware of the facts of the case confirmed the charges could be connected.

He explained a group called Justice Reborn had detained Timoney close to a shopping centre car park in Strabane after he had been texting two decoys in a sexual manner.

In the course of this, the court was told, Timoney set out a plan to meet the girls and bring them to his house.

He was to leave one downstairs watching Netflix while he went upstairs for sex with the other one.

She was later to change places and go downstairs while the other went upstairs and also have sex with him.

He was arrested and during interview confirmed no-one else was involved and while he knew the girls were underage, he thought they were about 15.

When officers asked why he suggested having a threesome with the girls, Timoney said he thought that was just three people sitting talking together.

However, he was shown a text to the decoys setting out  that a threesome was three people having sex together he accepted knowing what he had done,

A defence barrister explained there are ‘certain vulnerabilities’, but at this stage there would be no application for bail given the unavailability of a suitable address.

District Judge Alana McSorley remanded Timoney in custody to appear again by video-link at Strabane Magistrates Court on November 6.