Probation Service. The Central Criminal Court

2023-03-03 · Dublin

'Way off the rails': teen has year of deferred sentence for defilement activated

A 17‑year‑old boy, who was 14 when he committed unlawful sexual intercourse with a girl under 15 in a public park on 31 December 2019, had a four‑year deferred sentence activated after breaching conditions set by the Central Criminal Court. The judge had originally imposed a four‑year detention order, deferred under the Children Act 2001, with conditions that the boy not commit further offences, follow all directions of the Probation Service and avoid contact with the victim. The boy pleaded guilty to defilement but denied unlawful sex, claiming the victim had instigated the acts and that they were consensual. At the hearing, the court found the boy had breached the conditions, activated 12 months of the four‑year period, and suspended the remaining three years for two years. The judge urged the boy to engage with probation services during his detention. The victim's impact statement described lasting trauma and a loss of trust.

2019-10-17 · Dublin

Jail for man who "cruelly" sexually exploited child when he was teen

A 20‑year‑old man was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexually exploiting a 12‑year‑old girl when he was 16. He forced her to perform oral sex, threatened to release photos of her in sexual acts if she did not give a blowjob to a younger boy, and recorded the acts on mobile phones. He pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a child. The judge noted the cruelty of the offences, the victim's age and the impact on her, and considered an eight‑year sentence absent mitigating factors such as the early guilty plea, lack of prior convictions and his minor status at the time. He was also ordered to undergo two years of post‑release supervision under the Probation Service. The case involved a group of youths who witnessed and photographed the incidents, and the victim has suffered ongoing psychological harm, including suicidal thoughts and self‑harm.