A MAN who travelled from Dublin to Letterkenny to meet with a 13-year-old girl for sex has been jailed for five years.
Kiran Srinivason (30), of Tonlegee Road, Coolock, Dublin was arrested by gardai after being caught in an online sting operation.He was charged with using technology to communicate with a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
He was also charged with attempting to meet a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
The defendant had been apprehended by Justice Reborn, a group who operate across Ireland to hunt online sexual predators.
At a sentencing hearing on Tuesday at Letterkenny Circuit Court prosecution barrister, Fiona Crawford BL, told how on July 15, 2025, gardaí were alerted to an incident at Century Cinemas, Letterkenny.
She said members of Justice Reborn assisted gardaí in their investigation by providing screenshots of Snapchat and WhatsApp messages between the defendant and someone who he believed to be a child.
A book of evidence of 450 pages was gathered for the case.
A member of Justice Reborn posed as a child and communicated with the defendant.
Ms Crawford told the court that the first message had been sent by Srinivason and read: “Hiya, you single?”
The Justice Reborn member replied: “Hi, I’m Aoife, 13, from Donegal.”
The defendant continued to message and said he was 24 and from Dublin.
He also sent her photos of his car and told her he wanted to come to Donegal to go skinny dipping with her at the beach.
There was also reference to a “hook-up”, as well as kissing and cuddling.
The accused then moved the communication to WhatsApp, and there were references of a sexual nature in the messages he sent.
She told him that she lived with her mum where there was CCTV.
He replied that he wanted to keep matters a secret.
“Keep between ourselves until you’re 18 – don’t want the parents to know”, he said.
He also suggested they would have sex at the beach.
Srinivason later sent an Eircode of where he was staying in Letterkenny, and asked if she wanted to sleep with him.
He said: “I’ll bring condoms too, haha.”
Detective Garda Michael O’Carroll told the court that when gardaí searched the defendant he was found to have condoms on his person.
A warrant was issued and the AirBnB, where he was staying whilst in Letterkenny, was searched, where gardaí found more condoms and a sex toy.
Meanwhile, Justice Reborn had also provided gardaí with screenshots of communication between Srinivason and the person he believed was a 13-year-old girl.
Ms Crawford said the accused had been in custody since July 2025 and bail had been refused.
Detective Garda O’Carroll added that the defendant had no previous convictions and gardaí had little knowledge of his background.
Defence barrister for the defendant, Sean McGee, BL, asked Detective Garda O’Carroll if his client had been co-operative, to which he replied: “Yes.”
Mr McGee said Srinivason was from India and his family had been as supportive as they could be whilst he was in Ireland.
He said deportation proceedings are being progressed and a probation report is currently before the court.
Mr McGee said his client came to Ireland on an education visa and attended University of Limerick.
He studied engineering with a focus on aviation and graduated with first class honours. The incident occurred during a period of unemployment.
Mr McGee handed the judge copies of certificates and awards achieved by the defendant.
He said his client had been the subject of “derogatory material” spread about him online.
Mr McGee said his client currently works in the laundry in Midlands Prison where he is being held.
“He seems to be a model prisoner”, Mr McGee said.
He said the defendant was feeling “lonely and isolated” during the period in which the offence occurred and that he had been very forthright in admitting his actions.
“He had the capacity for victim empathy”, Mr McGee said.
He asked the judge to consider the early plea and his willingness to plead guilty at all stages of the investigation.
“He would like to apologise to the court and Irish society,” Mr McGee said.
Judge John Aylmer passed his judgement on the case late on Wednesday evening.
He made reference to a jail sentence of seven years but said he would consider mitigating circumstances.
He noted Srinivason’s plea and co-operation, and accepted that he was remorseful.
Judge Aylmer also made reference to the defendant’s education during his time in Ireland.
However, he said that his actions in travelling to Donegal with a view to meeting the young girl took a lot of planning.
Judge Aylmer reduced the sentence to five years in prison, backdated to July 2025, when the defendant was first put into custody.
