Courts / Dublin / Report

Child sex abuser forced to sleep in his car is jailed

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, a 70‑year‑old man, William Butler, was sentenced to four years' imprisonment for sexually assaulting a child aged between eight and nine between 2000 and 2002. Butler pleaded guilty to the offence, which involved touching the child's private area both inside and outside her clothing. The court noted that the child's family, who could not be identified, wished Butler to be named. Butler has 21 prior convictions, mainly for larceny and traffic offences, but none for sexual offences. He has suffered threats to burn down his house, assaults, and has spent time sleeping in his car and in cheap hotels. The judge, Martin Nolan, acknowledged Butler's remorse and the mitigating circumstances, but set a headline sentence of six years, reduced to four years after mitigation. The sentence reflects the seriousness of the offence and the impact on the victim.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Child sex abuser forced to sleep in his car is jailed. Charges or matters: sexual assault of the child on dates between 2000 and 2002 and was today jailed for four years. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• 2000 and 2002 Incident
• 2025-10-24 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence

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Read the original CNI report