Pervert caught with child sex doll and child porn worked at Dublin hospital

The Sunday World today publishes the first images of pervert Joel Davantes and, following a probe into his background, can reveal:

• Davantes, originally from the Philippines, was formerly employed as a health care worker at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin;
• He celebrated his 50th birthday by dressing as a chicken and was surrounded by small children as friends sang Happy Birthday to him;
• And, the 56-year-old won’t face prosecution for importing a child sex doll into the country as there is “no criminal liability” attached to the possession or importation of such a doll into this State.

Davantes was caught with 35 images of child abuse material after Gardaí intercepted the delivery of what was considered a child sex doll in 2019.

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this week, Davantes, of Home Farm Road, Drumcondra, Dublin, pleaded guilty in court to being in possession of child pornography on October 25, 2019.

Diana Stuart BL, prosecuting, confirmed that although there was no criminal liability in relation to the doll, it caused Gardaí concern and led to a search of Davantes’ home.

The doll was delivered by controlled delivery and Davantes told officers that he did not think it was a sex doll.

The home was searched and phones, a laptop and a tablet were seized.

The images that were later discovered were “determined to be child abuse material” and Ms Stuart said the images had been taken from the internet.

Davantes, who has no previous convictions, was interviewed but nothing of evidential value came from his questioning by gardaí, counsel said.

Luigi Rea BL, defending submitted that his client’s plea of guilty was “helpful” to his prosecution.

The case was adjourned to allow for the preparation of a report from the Probation Service after evidence was first heard last July.

On Monday, Judge Elma Sheahan sentenced Davantes to 12 months in prison which she suspended in full on strict conditions including that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months.

She said while the offence was “not a victimless crime,” Davantes’ offending was at the lower end of the scale as it was “a limited number of images”.

She noted that a report from probation and psychological services put Davantes “at a low risk of re-offending”.

Judge Sheahan took into account that Davantes had entered an early guilty plea, had no previous convictions and had provided for his younger siblings when his father died at a young age.

The Sunday World this week called to Davantes’ court-listed address on Home Farm Road but was told by a man who answered the door that Davantes had “gone away for the week.”

Efforts to contact Davantes on Facebook were met with no response.

Davantes has been living in Ireland since 2002.

St Vincent’s University Hospital had not responded to a request for comment at the time of going online.