Ex-RTÉ predator gets ten years for abusing child in the Philippines
Girl he sexually assaulted in video has never been found
A FORMER RTÉ producer who sexually abused and exploited young children, including flying to the Philippines for the purpose of child sexual abuse, has been jailed for ten years.
Kieran Creaven engaged in behaviour that was ‘degrading in the extreme’ for his vulnerable child victims, who were in some cases being abused for commercial gain, Judge Melanie Greally said as she handed down his sentence yesterday.
One child in particular who was sexually abused by Creaven in the Philippines has never been found and her fate remains unknown, the judge said.
‘As she has not been rescued, it is difficult to conceive she has any hope of a normal childhood, much less a bright future,’ she said.
The 59-year-old then sports producer was arrested in Leeds in 2017 as a result of a sting operation by a vigilante group when he tried to meet a child for sexual activity. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment in the UK.
Gardaí charged him last year with offences relating to child exploitation, sexual assault and possession of child pornography.
Creaven, of Adelaide Street, Dún Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty to ten counts, including
‘Different degrees of depravity’
four counts of child exploitation, two counts of sexually assaulting a child, and four counts of child pornography. The offences took place in Ireland, the UK and the Philippines in 2014 and 2017. He has been in custody since October last year.
Judge Melanie Greally said Creaven’s offending involved ‘different victims, different types of offences and different degrees of depravity’.
She noted Creaven travelled to the Philippines to carry out child sexual abuse.
He engaged in the ‘extreme abuse’ of a girl aged between ten and 12, which he recorded and stored for three years.
In mitigation, she noted that Creaven has expressed remorse and has engaged with the Probation Services for the past two years. He has had psychotherapy and is committed to rehabilitation, she said.
She noted he had lost his job and employment prospects as well as his marriage. He will be on the sex offenders’ register for life.
She sentenced him to ten years and adjourned the matter to December 16 to deal with the issue of post-release supervision.
Creaven, who appeared via video-link from prison, did not react when sentence was passed.
At a sentencing hearing last month, Detective Garda Johanna Doyle told Kerida Naidoo SC, prosecuting, that Creaven’s Dublin home was searched in 2017 when he was arrested in England and a number of devices were seized. Gardaí also made enquiries with online companies including Facebook, Skype, and PayPal.
Two videos were found on a memory card which showed Creaven videoing himself sexually assaulting a girl between the ages of ten and 12 in the Philippines in 2014, the court heard. At times, another adult present took over the recording.
Creaven was identifiable by his ‘distinctive tattoos’ and his face was clearly visible in parts of the videos, which were 15 minutes and six minutes long respectively, the court heard. The videos were shot on October 12 and 16, 2014, and involved the same child.
In the earlier video, a baby under the age of one could be seen lying on the same bed as the child Creaven was abusing.
At one point, Creaven could be heard saying: ‘Oh God, she is beautiful.’ He also asked the child to look at him as he sexually assaulted her.
Gardaí found records of a Skype chat between Creaven and an account in the Philippines in November 2017. During this chat, Creaven paid €40 to view a child’s private parts. He later told the adult operating the account that he was having trouble with his credit card and asked for her address to send cash to.
Gardaí discovered Creaven also engaged in sexual conversations with three children on Facebook in Ireland in June and July, 2017.
He told one of the children: ‘After seeing your pic again, I’m a fair few years older than you, so probably shouldn’t be messaging you. My intentions are 100% naughty, ha.’
He sent the children sexual images, graphic stories and videos, including photos of his erect penis. One of the girls, then aged 16, was in the care of Tusla at the time, the court heard.
Another of the children – a 14year-old boy who was on Facebook under a girl’s name – told gardaí he almost vomited when Creaven sent him a video of a man engaging in a sex act. Creaven labelled it ‘a little spunky video for you’, the court heard.
A USB key seized from Creaven in the UK was found to contain child abuse images and videos, including one involving a twoyear-old toddler.
Detective Garda Doyle told the court that when Creaven was interviewed by gardaí in 2019, she ‘begged’ him to give her more information on who the child in the Philippines was. He made no comment during that interview.
However, Creaven met the detective in prison earlier this year and provided her with more information on the child. Despite this, the girl has not been identified.
Creaven has no previous convictions other than his two UK convictions in 2017, the court heard.
Lorcan Staines SC, defending, said his client was remorseful. His arrest was a ‘watershed moment’, he said.
Creaven has been seeing a psychologist to examine ‘how he fell into very significant criminal behaviour and sexualised criminal behaviour’, Mr Staines said.
Creaven chose not to take bail in 2020 and has been cooperating with gardaí and the Probation Service since returning to Ireland after serving his UK sentence, counsel said. His marriage broke down when his offences came to light and he is now divorced.
‘He has lost his marriage as a result of his offending behaviour,’ Mr Staines added. ‘He has lost his career as a result of his offending behaviour. He has lost his reputation as a result of his offending behaviour. He has been and will be vilified in public for the appalling crimes he has committed.’
In his letter to the court, Creaven said he wanted to offer his sincere apologies to those he hurt, particularly the girl in the Philippines, with his ‘abhorrent behaviour’.
‘I know I have committed despicable acts,’ he wrote. ‘I’m responsible for my acts and I accept I must pay for my crimes.’
Speaking outside court, Detective Superintendent Barry Walsh said: ‘The conviction in this case is a clear statement that there’s no safe haven for people who engage in child sex exploitation, here in Ireland or abroad.’
Detective ‘begged’ for information