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Exposed: Child porn sicko Martin Stapleton didn’t tell Temple Bar shop about vile past

Carrolls Irish Gifts confirmed to the Sunday World, after we made bosses aware of Stapleton’s crimes, that he is no longer working for the chain

Today at 14:52

Convicted child porn distributor Martin Stapleton landed himself a job behind the counter at one of Dublin’s most famous tourist gift shops — by neglecting to tell his employers about his vile past.

But, Carrolls Irish Gifts confirmed to the Sunday World, after we made bosses aware of Stapleton’s crimes, that he is no longer working for the chain.

We confronted the 34-year-old pervert this week after he helped close up the company’s outlet in Dublin’s Temple Bar, where he defended his decision not to make his employers aware of his conviction.

“If they had asked, I’d have been open with them and let them make the decision from there, but they never asked me,” he said.

We notified Carrolls, which also has a flagship store off O’Connell Bridge, of Stapleton’s convictions on Friday.

A spokesperson later told us: “When we became aware of this, his employment was terminated.

“He no longer works for this company.”

Stapleton was released from prison in April 2021 after serving 18 months for distributing a video of a young girl being raped. The video showed a female child being orally raped by an adult man.

Following a garda search of Stapleton’s home in Ballyboden, sparked by intelligence shared by Merseyside Police, 119 images and 18 videos of child pornography were discovered on Stapleton’s devices.

When we approached Stapleton, we asked him if he felt it was appropriate that he was working in an outlet where so many tourists were shopping with their children.

“I’m trying to move on, to be honest with you,” he said.

“The guards know I’m working there.

“I’m know I have my previous convictions but I have been trying to get a job to get out.

“I know where I can and can’t work.

“I mean, I can’t work in a McDonalds, I can’t work or interact with anyone with disabilities, I’m really just trying to move on one day at a time.”

Asked if he had told Carrolls about his convictions, Stapleton replied: “No. They didn’t ask in any contracts or interviews.

“I don’t know about any other employers … but they never asked me.”

Asked whether in spite of this, he should have told his employers, Stapleton responded: “Well, if they had asked. In the law, under the Sex Offences Act, you have to ask!

“If they had asked, I’d have been open with them and let them make the decision from there, but they never asked me.”

Put to him, even if what he was saying was true, he should have been upfront at recruitment stage, and in light of the fact so many tourists were bringing children into the shop, Stapleton replied: “Well, the guards knew!

“The liaison officer and detectives are aware that I’m working in Carrolls.

“They are my monitoring gardai so if they had an issue with me working in Carrolls, they would have said it to me out straight.

“If I would have told them I was working in a McDonalds, they would have told me I can’t and I would have known that myself anyway.”

Earlier this year, Stapleton was forced to shut down a GoFundMe page seeking funds to help him get accommodation in Dublin after details of his past were shared online.

The vile voyeur had built up a following of more than 1,000 people on Twitter before he began asking for money to help him secure a home.

After well-intentioned well-wishers began sharing Stapleton’s tweet in the hope of getting him housed, he quickly began soliciting donations on GoFundMe.

He managed to raise €1,130 before people identified him and began linking his appeal to an article theSunday Worldpublished in May last year following his release from Arbour Hill prison.

After the article was shared among Stapleton’s followers, he denied that he would have moved into a property where children are living.

“I would have not went or taking any homes with kids [sic],” he wrote.

“I no what I can do and can’t do under the law”[sic].

Stapleton later apologised for not being honest with his followers.

“Everyone, I am truly sorry of not been 100 per cent honest with people about my past,” he wrote.

“Yes, I do have a past conviction and I am sorry I didn’t tell anyone of my past.

“But my situation stands as a homeless person.

“I am in the process of getting onto gofund.me and refund.”

Stapleton’s GoFundMe was subsequently closed.

Asked this week whether he had in fact returned all the money, as he promised, Stapleton told us: “I have refunded it through GoFundMe.

“I contacted GoFundMe directly and they took the money back from their page.”

Asked whether he appreciated the fact that his employment with Carrolls could put the chain in a difficult position, particularly in light of the fact they were unaware of his convictions, Stapleton said: “I know. But, I’m not one to go around vetting everyone in Carrolls.

“Anywhere I go to work, whether as a night porter or in any shop, there are going to be families and kids.

“But I need to move on with my life to stop me re-offending.

“I need to get structure and a routine going in my life and this is helping me.”

“I didn’t qualify to take part in the Building Better Lives programme in prison but I did counselling in prison and I did counselling when I came out.

“I’m finished with my counselling now and I’m linked in with my GP and the gardai in the station.

“I’m not looking for individuals’ sympathy. I’m personally trying to move on with my life.

“I know I hurt my family and my friends and I want to move on.”