Man jailed for sexual assault of vulnerable stepdaughter

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

A man was sentenced to eight years for 25 sample counts of sexual assault at the Central Criminal Court on 19 July 2024, with the term backdated to October for time already served. The offences occurred in Co Offaly between February 2011 and January 2017, and he was convicted after a trial in February. Ms Justice Karen O'Connor said the breach of trust, extended period and vulnerability of the victim aggravated the offending. The judge noted his work history and lack of previous relevant convictions as mitigation. The man accepted the jury's verdict and wished to apologise, while a probation report said he had limited insight and was unsuitable for probation supervision. He had been extradited to Ireland in April 2021.