An online predator, who sexually exploited 15 young girls online, has been banned from doing a computer course in jail.

Matthew Horan was jailed for seven and a half years after using social media to coerce the girls.

Horan has previously been described by a judge as having a very unhealthy, insidious and debased sexual interest in children.

The 26-year-old, of St John’s Crescent in Clondalkin, used Skype, Snapchat, Instagram and an app called Kik to coerce the girls - some as young as nine.

Horan would pretend to be a child of the same age and get them to send explicit photos and videos.

The court heard Horan threatened to send photos to the friends of one girl if she did not send more.

Gardaí found hundreds of files on his electronic devices when they searched his home in July 2015.

Today Matthew Horan appeared in court again where the judge was told the Probation Service had asked the court to make an order that he should not be allowed do a certain type of computer programming course while in prison.

The judge made the ruling and Matthew Horan was remanded back in custody to continue carrying out his sentence.