Man who had sex with teenage girls jailed for two years

A MAN who had sex with two teenage girls has been jailed for two years.

Keith O’Donnell, aged 33, of Smith O’Brien Avenue, Kileely, Co Limerick, pleaded guilty to nine counts of defilement of the girls on dates in 2006 and 2008. The court heard O’Donnell admitted being fascinated by black girls. When his home was searched, Gardaí found pornographic DVDs featuring black women and women dressed as schoolgirls.

Judge Carroll Moran imposing two concurrent two-year sentences said the accused preyed on very young girls and manipulated them by giving them gifts such as phone credits. “The tenderness of their age is a serious aggravating factor,” he said.

O’Donnell’s relationship with the younger girl came to light after her Nigerian mother contacted Gardaí after she went missing for a night. An investigation showed text messages of a highly sexual nature on the girl’s phone. These were traced to the phone of Keith O’Donnell.

O’Donnell admitted taking the girl to a relative’s house and performing a sexual act on her. At a later date he had sexual intercourse with her at the same house.

The Nigerian girl when questioned admitted an allegation she made that O’Donnell abducted and raped her was untrue.

O’Donnell, in making admissions to Gardaí about having sex with the 14-year-old Nigerian girl whom he claimed told him she was 16, told Gardaí of having unprotected sex with another girl, a 15-year-old, who was the daughter of immigrants from the Republic of the Congo. O’Donnell told Gardaí that he knew what he was doing was wrong. Anthony Sammon, SC, for the defence, said: “He is ashamed of what he has done. He regrets it.”

Judge Moran said O’Donnell had pleaded guilty at an early stage and a psychologist’s report said he was unlikely to re-offend and had no paedophilic tendencies.

O’Donnell had no previous convictions.