Suspended sentence for man who abused friend’s son

A KILDARE man has escaped a jail term for sexually assaulting his friend’s teenage son while he was babysitting him, taking him on forest walks and fishing trips.

The 44 year old, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the child, told his victim that he was gay and had been sexually abused himself as a young boy when he attended an industrial school.

The court heard the man started to work as a rent boy on leaving the school.