A former Sinn Fein press officer has been jailed for nine months after pleading guilty to a series of child sex offences.Michael McMonagle, 43, from Limewood Street in Londonderry, was sentenced at Derry Crown Court to nine months in custody and nine months under statutory supervision.Derry Crown Court heard on Friday how McMonagle had communicated with a number of online accounts which were run by police officers posing as six children aged between 12 and under 16 years.McMonagle had originally

A former Sinn Fein press officer has been jailed for nine months after pleading guilty to a series of child sex offences.Michael McMonagle, 43, from Limewood Street in Londonderry, was sentenced at Derry Crown Court to nine months in custody and nine months under statutory supervision.Derry Crown Court heard on Friday how McMonagle had communicated with a number of online accounts which were run by police officers posing as six children aged between 12 and under 16 years.McMonagle had originally faced 15 charges, including attempting to incite two children to engage in sexual activity.The offences relate to various dates between May 2020 and August 2021.He pleaded guilty to 14 of the 15 offences, and another charge was left on the books.