Courts / Dublin / Report
Man who abused girl (4) was named on Facebook, court told
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court case, a 59‑year‑old man was convicted in January of two charges of sexually assaulting a four‑year‑old girl at his home between July 2016 and July 2017. The trial lasted nine days and included testimony from the child, who described being touched and licked in her genital area, and from her mother, who reported the child's distress and subsequent night terrors and school changes. Forensic evidence showed DNA from the man on the child's underwear, with a 1 in 6,700 chance of a coincidental match. The man denied the allegations, claiming the DNA was due to the child's play. His defence argued that a Facebook post naming him and his address, allegedly encouraging violence against his family, should be considered as extra‑judicial punishment. The prosecution said the post was under Garda investigation and should not influence sentencing.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Man who abused girl (4) was named on Facebook, court told. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Convicted
When:
- July 2016 Hearing Or Sentence
- July 2017 Hearing Or Sentence
- April 22 Adjournment
- 2020-03-12 Publication
Why: She told her mother that the man, whom she called her granddad because of the closeness of the families, also licked her there three times. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Finding: Convicted
Outcome: Convicted; Mr Fitzgerald told the court that his client was anxious to have the case finalised as soon as possible and asked for sentence to be imposed next week.; She adjourned the case to April 22 and remanded the man into custody to that date. "We hope at that stage everything would be back to normal," she said.
Places mentioned
Topics
Social Media Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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