Courts / Louth / Report

Man who had sex with schoolgirl told her he could get fake passport

Summary

A Louth man (29), who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual intercourse with a minor at a hotel in Co. Dublin between November 28 and December 6, 2013. The man told the 15-year-old schoolgirl he could get her a fake passport if she wanted to come away with him to Northern Ireland, warning her she would have to dye her hair and live as the name on the fake passport. The girl later told gardaí that she had consensual sex once with the man while staying at various hotel accommodations over a few nights while waiting for the passport. The man has 38 previous convictions, including assault, burglary, criminal damage, and theft. Sergeant Louise McHugh testified that the girl had met the man outside a pub the previous summer and had kept in phone contact with him. They met twice to play pool together, and on another date, the girl stayed with the man in a hotel after spending a night out drinking with him. The girl had a half day from school when she met the man at a shopping centre on November 28, still in her uniform. The man bought her a €60 phone and they spent the day drinking together at the centre before she agreed to stay with him when she missed her bus home. Over the next few nights, the man booked them into hotel and B&B accommodation and organised a change of clothing for the schoolgirl from his female friend. He told the 15-year-old that they would stay at the final hotel a bit longer while they waited for the passport. The girl told gardaí that the man had sex with her once and that she had been happy to run away with him. She said that another couple joined them in the hotel room for the last few nights and she described spending the daytime with the female while the males went out to work. Gardaí tracked the girl down to an internet cafe on December 6, after stopping the man and his male friend on a different street. The girl told officers that the ten-year age gap between her and the man didn't bother either of them and that while he never said he loved her, she felt there was something there. She declined to make a Victim Impact Statement. Dominic McGinn SC, defending, agreed with Sergeant McHugh that his client had had a history of self-harm and had made serious attempts to take his own life. He further agreed that the man had co-operated with gardaí fully. Mc McGinn submitted to Judge Cormac Quinn that it was the disparity in age that made the case against his client as there was no evidence of coercion or violence. Referring to a psychologist's report, Mr McGinn submitted that some of the tragic elements of his client's background had been the catalyst for drug abuse and antisocial behaviour. Counsel said the man had tried to take his own life three weeks before the incident with the girl and that he was at a place in his life where he was looking for support. Mr McGinn said being in prison awaiting sentence had given his client stability and structure and that he wants to deal with his drugs issue. Judge Quinn ordered a probation services report and put the matter back to October for sentence.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man who had sex with schoolgirl told her he could get fake passport. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 28 Incident
• December 6, 2013 Incident
• December 6 Other
• 2017-07-27 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Burglary Drugs Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report