Courts / Dublin / Report
Man offers no apology for having sex with underage cousin (15), court hears
Summary
A Dublin man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for defilement and a concurrent one-year term for child sexual exploitation. The unnamed defendant, who was 23 at the time of the offences, was convicted by a jury at the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on four charges of defilement and one charge of sexual exploitation of a child. The offences occurred between September 2012 and February 2014, when the victim, now 21, was aged 15. The court heard that the victim was living with her grandmother due to her parents' inability to care for her, and that the pair had sexual relations on multiple occasions. Evidence included text messages in which the victim expressed that the relationship was wrong because he was her cousin. Judge Elma Sheahan noted the significant age disparity and the breach of trust, stating the defendant was in a stable position and should have known better. Although the man accepted the jury's verdict, he offered no apology or remorse. The judge declined to suspend any portion of the sentence, citing his lack of insight into the harm caused. The victim's impact statement described a loss of stability and peace of mind, while an investigating garda stated the case had ripped the family apart.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man offers no apology for having sex with underage cousin (15), court hears. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- September 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
- February 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2018-11-14 Publication
Why: She had been living with her grandmother because her parents were not fit to look after her. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; By Sonya McLean and Declan Brennan A Dublin man who was convicted of having sex with his underage cousin has been jailed for three and half years for defilement. Judge Sheahan sentenced the man to three and half years in prison for the defilement offences and a concurrent term of a year for the charge of child sexual exploitation.
Places mentioned
Topics
Sexual Offences Stage Sentence
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