Courts / Dublin / Report
Priest avoids jail for sexual assault
Summary
A 65‑year‑old priest, whose name is withheld for legal reasons, received a suspended two‑year sentence for sexual assault after a court found he had been placed under effective house arrest by his order. The court heard that the priest had molested a boy in his early teens after Mass in a Dublin church in September 2015, an act that lasted about 15 seconds. The boy's mother reported the incident to Gardaí, leading to the priest's admission and subsequent registration as a sex offender. The priest is now confined to a house run by his order, prohibited from celebrating Mass, wearing priestly garb, leaving the house alone, or having unsupervised contact with children or vulnerable adults. The regime is to continue indefinitely, and the suspended sentence will take effect only if the priest completes a sex‑offender programme. The judge noted the priest's early guilty plea, remorse, and prior good work in missions worldwide.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Priest avoids jail for sexual assault. Charges or matters: one count of sexual assault of the boy in a church building in Dublin in September 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- September 2015 Incident
- 2017-02-01 Publication
Why: Afterwards the adults would have tea in a kitchen in the building while the children would hang out in another room because it had internet access. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of sexual assault of the boy in a church building in Dublin in September 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: A priest has received a suspended sentence for sexual assault after a court heard he has been put under effective house arrest by his order. She imposed a two year sentence which she suspended in full on condition the priest completes a sex offenders programme.
Places mentioned
Topics
Sexual Offences Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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