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Ex Dublin bus driver jailed for grooming and abusing girls and boy
Summary
Dermot Carr, 51, a former Dublin bus driver, was sentenced to nine years in prison, with the final year suspended, for a series of sexual offences spanning from 2001 to 2018. He pleaded guilty to harassment of a nine‑year‑old boy, sending explicit images and requesting naked photographs, and to multiple counts of sexual assault against five girls aged 11 to 17. Carr's conduct involved persistent grooming, text messaging, providing drugs and alcohol, and forcing the girls to masturbate or engage in sexual acts in his car or apartment. The judge noted a pattern of deliberate, persistent grooming over many years and imposed consecutive sentences for the six victims, ordering Carr to pay €10,000 in compensation to the first female victim and to engage with probation and counselling upon release. The case highlighted the long‑term impact on the victims, who described trauma, nightmares, and lasting psychological effects.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Ex Dublin bus driver jailed for grooming and abusing girls and boy. Charges or matters: a charge of harassment of a child and sending sexually explicit images to a child on dates between January 2013 and July 2018; two charges of sexually assaulting one girl, two charges of sexually assaulting a second girl, one charge of sexually assaulting a third girl, two charges of sexually assaulting a fourth girl and one charge of sexually assaulting a fifth girl, on dates between January 2001 and May 2006; two offences of sexual assault against this child which involved him assaulting her in his car; this offence and jailed. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 2013 Incident
- July 2018 Incident
- January 2001 Incident
- May 2006 Incident
- 2023-05-25 Publication
Why: He also regularly bought the girls phone credit in order to facilitate the text conversations. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: a charge of harassment of a child and sending sexually explicit images to a child on dates between January 2013 and July 2018; two charges of sexually assaulting one girl, two charges of sexually assaulting a second girl, one charge of sexually assaulting a third girl, two charges of sexually assaulting a fourth girl and one charge of sexually assaulting a fifth girl, on dates between January 2001 and May 2006; two offences of sexual assault against this child which involved him assaulting her in his car; this offence and jailed (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Mr Justice Keane imposed various headline sentences ranging from 16 months to eight years but having taken into account the mitigating factors he reduced these to terms of 12 months and six years. The judge said he needed to consider consecutive sentencing, given the fact that the man's behaviour "directly affected six lives" and ordered that the sentences relating to the sexual assault of the five girls be imposed consecutively to the sentence in relation to the nine-year-old boy.
Places mentioned
Topics
Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime
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