Teenager admits harassing BBC News NI journalist Aileen Moynagh

A 17-year-old youth has pleaded guilty to harassing BBC journalist Aileen Moynagh after he repeatedly sent her threatening messages on social media.

The Dublin teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, admitted the offence at Dublin Children's Court.

The court heard he had an "obsessive crush" on the Belfast-based journalist and was previously cautioned for similar approaches to RTÉ journalists.

He has a range of health conditions including autism and Asperger's.

The court heard the teenager had used up to 40 aliases on the internet and had been barred from Twitter about 150 times.

During Garda (Irish police) interviews, he admitted he had an obsessive compulsive interest in some female journalists.

Ms Moynagh began receiving unwanted messages on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn from the boy in October 2020, when he was 16 years old.

She tried to block him from contacting her but each time he set up a new account and email address under a different alias.

He continued to contact her and send messages to the newsroom for months - at one point he pretended to be the mother of a child with autism, asking to speak to the journalist.

A Garda detective told the court the boy also sent Ms Moynagh a picture of her partner, making emotionally threatening comments about her relationship.

The journalist reported her concerns to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and to gardaí.

She travelled to Malahide Garda station in Dublin to make a statement in December 2020, in which she said she initially thought it was an adult sending the messages.

Ms Moynagh said she moved out of her house for five days and was concerned about her movements.

Despite being warned by gardaÍ not to contact her, the teenager travelled to Belfast and went to within a couple of hundred yards of her workplace.

The court heard he has been diagnosed with autism, Asperger's syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Tourette's syndrome, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and other conditions.

His parents have being trying to get him assistance since he was eight years old, but there was insufficient funding from Ireland's Health Service Executive, his defence solicitor explained.

The solicitor offered an apology on behalf of the boy, who remains on bail.

The judge ordered the defendant to stay out of Northern Ireland and told him he cannot leave Dublin without approval from his parents and a detective.

He was also banned from accessing the internet, except for educational purposes.

The boy pleaded guilty to harassing Ms Moynagh between 25 October 2020 until the end of February this year.

Sentencing was adjourned until November.

A spokesperson for the BBC said: "Nobody should experience harassment or abuse because of their job.

"We regret the ordeal that Aileen has been through and pay tribute to how she has dealt with this situation and the professionalism that she has shown throughout."

Correction 16 September 2021: An earlier version of this story mistakenly suggested that no papers had been passed from PSNI to gardaí.