Daniel Ramamoorthy used his position as a Christian children’s-camp mentor to ask a 13-year-old boy for an explicit image. Gardaí later found child sexual abuse material on his computer. The Indian national had previously sat on a State entrepreneurship forum. After 23 character references and a bid to reduce his 28-month term, the Court of Appeal identified multiple red flags suggesting an abnormal sexual interest in children and dismissed his appeal.
The mentor and the child
Ramamoorthy met the boy through volunteering as a leader at a Christian children’s camp. During a late-night Snapchat exchange in May 2017, he asked the 13-year-old to send an explicit genital image. The child did not comply. Ramamoorthy sent an inappropriate image of his own pubic area and said he was addicted to pornography.
The boy disclosed what happened. Gardaí later seized a laptop containing three images and one video depicting young boys in sexual activity with one another and an unknown adult man.
From public-policy profile to criminal court
Ramamoorthy is an Indian national and the son of a diplomat. Official records place him on the Government’s 2014 Entrepreneurship Forum and before an Oireachtas committee representing the start-up community. Defence evidence later described him as having advised the Department in the start-up field. That does not establish that he was a civil servant or held a security-cleared State post.
After a first jury failed to agree, Ramamoorthy pleaded guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material and a second jury convicted him of sexually exploiting the child.
Sentence, references and failed appeal
On 24 March 2025, Judge Sinéad McMullan imposed two years and four months for exploitation and eighteen months concurrently for possession. He was placed on the sex-offenders register.
Ramamoorthy appealed the severity of the sentence. In April 2026, the Court of Appeal dismissed the challenge, finding no acceptance of criminal liability, acknowledgement of impact or earnest remorse. It identified multiple red flags pointing to an abnormal sexual interest in children likely requiring expert intervention.
The court later released 23 character references after a media application. It criticised references that ignored the victim and the nature of the crimes. Their existence did not overturn the sentence.
Immigration outcome remains unverified
The sentencing court heard that Ramamoorthy would not be entitled to remain in Ireland after release. No source located confirms his current prison, release date, a deportation order, removal or departure. The public record therefore stops at a stated future immigration consequence, not a verified enforcement outcome.
No previous convictions were reported to the court. This file does not describe him diagnostically; the abnormal-interest conclusion is attributed to the appellate judgment.
Chronology
- 2014: State Entrepreneurship Forum membership and Oireachtas appearance.
- May 2017: Snapchat exploitation of the 13-year-old.
- 2024: First jury failed to agree.
- February 2025: Second jury convicted him after guilty plea on possession count.
- 24 March 2025: 28-month effective sentence.
- 21 April 2026: Sentence appeal dismissed.
- June 2026: Character references released.
Cost benchmark
The 28-month effective term at the Irish Prison Service’s 2024 staffed-space average represents a gross capacity benchmark of €231,168. A simple quarter-remission illustration is €173,376.
Questions the State should answer
- What safeguarding checks applied to his children’s-camp role?
- What risk treatment did the Court of Appeal’s red flags trigger?
- Has the stated post-release immigration consequence been implemented?
- Did public bodies review how he obtained a State policy profile?
- How should courts treat references that ignore victims and adjudicated facts?