A 42-year-old man, Ciaran Donovan from Ashfield, Co Kildare, has been handed a prison sentence of one year and four months for laundering over €900,000 tied to an unlawful television streaming service. Donovan, a married father of four, sold subscriptions related to the prohibited King Kong Media streaming platform. Donovan had previously admitted to three money laundering offences in Naas Circuit Court, in front of Judge Martina Baxter.
The court suspension applied to the final two years of a three-year-four-month sentencing, with allowance made for time Donovan had previously been in custody. The unlawful service offered its thousands of user’s access to pirated streaming of subscription channels such as Sky Sports and BT Sports, following the download of an app and the purchase of an annual €70 access code.
Donovan confessed to a money laundering offence in July of last year relating to his trade of apps linked to King Kong Media from January 2016 till March 2022. The court disclosed that €470,511 had been transferred through bank accounts associated with Donovan’s illegal venture, causing Sky a financial loss of €2 million.
Further money laundering charges ensued from his continued operation of the illegal service between October 2021 and November 2023, dealing with more than €430,000. Last month, Donovan was brought back to the Circuit Court for sentencing after he admitted guilt for two additional money laundering offences.
During the judgement delivered on Wednesday, the court recognised the advanced and expansive structure of the King Kong Media streaming service webpage. Aimed at and maintained for customers, it presented itself as a legitimate enterprise. The individual responsible for overseeing this operation, the defendant, was easily identified.
There was no subterfuge about King Kong Media’s operations – the service was promoted on social platforms, had a sales and support team, and the court was informed, was hardly concealed. The judge underscored that the substantial revenue from their subscriber base indicated that this illicit streaming service was significantly profitable. This profit was the main impetus for Donovan’s involvement in the illegal activities.
The fact that Donovan kept operating King Kong Media despite an ongoing investigation into the illegal service compounded the gravity of his offences. The court was informed that Donovan admitted to money laundering charges connected to his operation of the service in July 2023. However, King Kong Media was not closed down until earlier this year, after Donovan was released on bail and had a chance to cease the service.
Similarly, the judge highlighted the surge in subscribers from approximately 2,500 initially to around 5,000 in the second period of his operations.
When presenting mitigating factors, the judge acknowledged a noticeable change in Donovan’s attitude towards his actions. He seemed to comprehend the severity of his actions and the necessity to refrain from repeating them. The judge, while delivering the sentence, felt that jail time was warranted, coupled with the need for a punitive element to the sentence.
His offences were judged as moderately severe. Donovan’s extensive career in the IT sector, the judge observed, likely lent to his ability to establish King Kong Media. The court was informed that he has a spouse and four children dependent on him.
The judge sentenced Donovan to three years and four months regarding the crimes committed between January 2016 and March 2022. For subsequent offences, a sentence of 2 and a half years was imposed. The judge ruled both sentences to be served concurrently and suspended the final two years of imprisonment for 2½ years.
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