56-year-old convicted rapist can be named after High Court order

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A 56-year-old man convicted of repeated rape and sexual assault was allowed to be named by the High Court on 11 November 2020, subject to a 28-day stay.

The man had pleaded guilty in 2015 at the Central Criminal Court to repeatedly raping and sexually assaulting his wife’s two sons over 10 years, beginning when they were under 10.

In March 2016, Mr Justice Tony Hunt imposed a 21-year prison term, with the final five years suspended. The now-adult victims wanted their statutory anonymity waived so their stepfather could be identified publicly.

After reviewing the victims’ testimony and repeated requests to be identified, the judge lifted the reporting restrictions, saying the decision was in the public interest. The order was stayed for 28 days pending a possible Court of Appeal application by the defendant.