Dublin man jailed for sexual abuse of five girls

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

A Dublin man was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to six and a half years in prison, with the final year suspended for three years, for sexually abusing five girls. Mr Justice Paul McDermott imposed the consecutive sentences on 11 February 2022.

The man, then aged 53, cannot be named to protect the victims’ identities. He pleaded guilty to one count of rape and six counts of indecent assault. The proceedings were reported on 11 February 2022.

The offences took place at an address in a Dublin town between 1980 and 1988. The man was a neighbour of the girls and abused them when they visited his home. The court heard that he was aged between 12 and 20 around the time of the offending.

The suspended year was subject to strict conditions, including undergoing any assessment for a programme addressing his offending. The judge also ordered him not to approach or contact the injured parties and not to be in the company of a child under 18 unless another adult was present.

Justice McDermott noted the victims’ young ages and the extensive and repeated nature of the offending, as well as evidence that the man knew his actions were wrong and had acted in a predatory way. In mitigation, he considered the guilty plea, the man’s age and the passage of time. The judge also noted his borderline intellectual functioning, an otherwise blameless life and some health issues.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.