Galway man sentenced to six years for abusing niece, with final year suspended

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

A 31-year-old Galway man who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting and sexually exploiting his niece was sentenced to six years in prison by the Central Criminal Court. The final year was suspended on condition he stay away from children in person or online.

The court heard that the abuse began when the girl was six and took place over three years. The judge said the man had manipulated her, and took account of his limited intellectual ability and evidence that he had himself been sexually abused as a child. He was also ordered to undergo four years of post-release supervision.

The man cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity. Her mother said in a victim impact statement that the abuse had damaged her daughter’s childhood and torn the family apart.