Man jailed for raping and sexually abusing boy (12) in 1990s
Eimear Dodd
A man has been jailed for seven and a half years for the rape of a 12-year-old, who was encouraged to visit his home by another man who it is also alleged sexually abused the boy.
The 49-year-old man pleaded guilty to one count of anal rape and two counts of sexual assault at an address in Co Dublin on dates between 1994 and 1995. The Central Criminal Court heard that the pleas were accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions on a full facts basis.
He can't be named to protect the anonymity of his victim, who was aged between 12 and 14 at the time. The defendant has five previous convictions, including for possession of and selling, distributing or advertising child sexual abuse material, known in law as child pornography.
In a victim impact statement, the injured party said his “essence” was taken following the rape. The statement outlined the emotional and psychological impacts on him. He said he was terrified to tell anyone, and this disconnected him from family, friends and himself.
He said he moved away but later returned to live in Ireland, and it was during an AA meeting, when someone else shared a similar experience, that he realised he was not alone.
The injured party outlined that he is attending therapy and has completed a treatment programme for his addiction issues.
He said on the day of the plea, he felt his “essence and spirit” return.
Imposing sentence on Friday, Mr Justice David Keane said the victim was a “young and vulnerable” child at the time, and that some of the offending occurred in a “cluster”.
The judge noted that the man was aged 18 to 19 at the time and said the court would “treat him as having no more maturity than others in that age group”.
He also noted the man's early guilty plea, co-operation with the investigation, background and other mitigating factors.
The judge imposed a global sentence of seven and a half years to reflect all of the man's offending.
He suspended the final 12 months of the sentence for two years and imposed a two-year post-release supervision order.
The Central Criminal Court heard that the victim was also sexually abused by a third party before this offending occurred.
The boy moved abroad in his late teens and returned to Ireland when he was 20. He went to confront the defendant but did not say anything to him.
The injured party developed addiction issues. He told his mother he had been abused by two men in 2011 and later told his AA sponsor before making a formal complaint to the gardaí in 2022.
When interviewed, the man admitted the offence and being aware of the boy's age.
The man is a carer for his father. He has a work history, but is currently receiving disability benefits due to mental health issues.
Mr Justice Keane wished the injured party well in his continuing recovery.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, or if you or someone you know is at risk of suicide or self-harm, dial 999/112.
