On Wednesday, 20th May 2026, Cameron Mullen, aged 22 and from Kilrea, was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court to two years and four months.

His conviction covers seven counts of online child sexual offences, and he will also be placed under a Sexual Offences Prevention Order for a period of ten years.

The specific charges faced by Mullen involved sexual communication with a child, an adult causing or inciting a child between 13 and 16 to engage in sexual activity, incitement to distribute indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child, and an adult causing a child to watch a sexual act.

The investigation began in early January 2025 after a parent living in the Mid Ulster area contacted the police regarding suspicions that an individual was communicating sexually with their child online. Following fast-paced police enquiries, a suspect was identified, and Mullen was arrested within days. He was subsequently charged to court after being interviewed. An examination of his mobile phone revealed that he had used Instagram to contact multiple young teenage boys.

A file was sent to the Public Prosecution Service, which directed prosecution in relation to three victims who were under 16 years of age when the offences occurred.

Detective Chief Inspector David McBurney said: "This case demonstrates how offenders can use online platforms to gain a child's trust before quickly steering conversations to a sexual nature to satisfy their own sexual perversions. "It is sickening that we are seeing younger and younger offenders in this space. Mullen deliberately built a rapport with these young boys before rapidly turning the conversation and this is a common tactic that we are seeing by those who seek to exploit young people in our communities.

"This behaviour is manipulative and predatory, and it will not be tolerated. Protecting children and young people from sexual exploitation remains a top priority for us and we will continue to robustly pursue those who seek to harm children online.

"We continue to urge parents and guardians to remain vigilant about their children's online activity and to encourage open conversations about staying safe online. Anyone who believes a child may be at risk should report their concerns to police so we can take action as we did in this case.

"Let this serve as another warning to those perpetrating child sexual abuse in our communities, we are working every day to break down reporting barriers and encourage victims to come forward. You will be caught, your lies uncovered and you will face the full force of the law."

A parent of one of the victims spoke out to urge other parents to stay vigilant and report any worries, stating: "It is every parent's worst nightmare to experience what I did. It hurt me immensely to see my child stripped entirely of his innocence whilst the perpetrator preyed onto him and tortured him, both mentally and psychologically. He was continually coerced to show indecent images and be shown explicit content. Please be vigilant if your child has a smartphone as we often believe they are safe. The internet is not a safe place and it can have detrimental consequences if your own child is subjected to what my child seen and was asked to do. It could prove to have fatal consequences given the nature of these conversations and images that they are subjected to. Safeguarding our children is paramount from these predators attacking another innocent child and possibly leaving devastating consequences."