Paedophile paid for sex with teen to fulfil child abuse fantasy
A “DISTURBED” paedophile dehumanised a 15-year-old boy who he paid money to abuse and degrade by having sexual intercourse with him.
It was his fantasy to abuse a child and he sent a message saying he wanted to “f*** a kid”.
Mark Donoghue, 59, exploited his teenage victim who had set up a Grindr account stating he was prepared to take part in sexual acts with older men for payment. Upon finding out the victim’s true age Donoghue arranged another meeting during which he and had sex with the schoolboy
The defendant, of Tonyrefail, denied abusing the 15-year-old boy but he was found guilty of paying for the sexual services of a child following a trial at Newport Crown Court.
During a sentencing hearing at the same court, Judge Richard Williams said: “This was a cold-hearted offence by means of which you objectified the victim and treated him little more than a piece of meat.”
The victim, who has lifelong anonymity, met up with Donoghue in 2019 at a car park in Llantrisant. During the journey to his home the victim told the defendant he was 15 years old and asked Donoghue if he was “all right with that” but this did not raise the slightest concern, the court heard.
At the first meeting the victim was too drunk to remember what happened in detail but a second meeting took place days later when penetrative sexual activity took place, which Donoghue said he had fantasised about. During the trial the victim described how the defendant plied him with vodka before performing sex acts and having sex with him.
After the abuse had taken place Donoghue drove the teenager back to the car park and paid him a sum of money. Judge Williams told the court how the defendant acted out his desires, expressed in a message in which he said he wanted to “f*** a kid”.
The judge added: “You said you would do anything to take part in voracious sexual activity with a kid and made arrangements to do so. Your actions were bereft of kindness and consideration for the victim and you did not regard yourself subject to any boundaries in regards to him. You dehumanised the victim and exposed a facet of your character best described as disturbed.”
In a victim personal statement read out to the court by prosecutor Nigel Fryer the teenager said the court process was “horrible”.
He said: “I lost sleep over giving evidence and felt let down when [the trial] kept getting cancelled.
“I was upset watching my video from two years ago which brought back memories and I found it difficult to give evidence... I came face to face with the man who committed offences against me.”
Defence barrister Nick Gedge said his client, of Mill Street, was of previous good character and described him as a “caring and loving father and son”.
The defendant was supported by a number of family members in court. Mr Gedge said Donoghue was not the one who contacted the victim, claiming another person was the “driver or instigator” in the communications, but Judge Williams said the person was doing the defendant’s “bidding”.
The judge said he considered Donoghue to be a dangerous offender who poses a significant risk of causing harm and added: “It’s a case of leopards do not change their spots”.
The defendant was made subject to an extended 12-year sentence made up of a custodial element of nine years with an additional three years on licence.
He will serve two-thirds of the custodial sentence before he is eligible for parole.
He was also made subject to notification requirements and a sexual harm prevention order for life.