Courts / Dublin / Report
Teen appeals sentence for defilement of girl (12)
Summary
In 2019 a 16‑year‑old pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement of a child under 15 after filming a 12‑year‑old girl performing oral sex on him while friends photographed the act. He threatened to send the footage to the victim's sport club if she refused to perform oral sex on one of his friends. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment by Mr Justice Michael White, who described the offence as cruel and warned that the defendant had downplayed it to probation officers. The appellant appealed, arguing that his young age and lack of prior convictions should mitigate the sentence. The Court of Appeal, hearing Mr Bowman SC, noted the offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment but reserved judgment. The case details the victim's distress and the defendant's threats to expose the footage. The appeal remains unresolved.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Teen appeals sentence for defilement of girl (12). Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- June 2019 Incident
- August 15, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2021-01-14 Publication
Case subjects
Appellant
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: He pleaded guilty in June 2019 to two counts of defilement of a child under the age of 15 and was sentenced to four years' imprisonment. Mr Bowman responded that there was no "gratuitous physical violence" or "physical dominance" and that the sentence imposed would not be out of the ordinary for a person convicted of rape.
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