Courts / Dublin / Report
Man avoids jail for defiling girl (15) he knew from residential care
Summary
A 22‑year‑old Dublin man avoided jail after pleading guilty to sexual defilement of a 15‑year‑old girl he knew from a residential care home. The girl, still in care at the time, left her care workers without permission, travelled on a Luas tram into town and met the man, who was 18 when they first met. They went to a city park, chatted and "ended up having sexual intercourse with each other", according to the court. Gardaí visited the man's house and he admitted he knew the girl was below the age of sexual consent. He had 64 prior convictions, including assault, burglary and firearms offences. Judge Karen O'Connor suspended a two‑year prison sentence, requiring the man to keep the peace, engage in victim‑awareness and offence‑focused work with the Probation Service, and imposed the custodial sentence if any conditions were breached.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man avoids jail for defiling girl (15) he knew from residential care. Charges or matters: engaging in a sexual act with a child who is under the age of 17 years on August 1, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 1, 2015 Incident
- 2019-05-01 Publication
Why: She got on a Luas tram into town and met the man, who was then aged 18, and who she knew because they had both previously been in a care home together. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: engaging in a sexual act with a child who is under the age of 17 years on August 1, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge O'Connor suspended a two year prison sentence on condition that the man keep the peace for that period and engage in victim awareness and offence focused work with the Probation Service. She told the man she would impose the custodial sentence if he breached any conditions.
Places mentioned
Topics
Burglary Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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