Man who exposed himself to children avoids prison sentence
Judge Mary Fahy warned Joe Finnerty, a bachelor from Turlough, Rosmuc, that he would go to prison if he exposed himself again to students attending the Irish college this summer.
Judge Fahy said: “Many of these young students are away from home for the first time and their parents are paying high fees. They want their children to have a positive experience and not meet the likes of Mr Finnerty.”
Finnerty pleaded guilty before Galway District Court last week to three charges of indecently exposing himself to young girls, aged between 10 and 13, near his home on three occasions between July 14 and 27 last year.
He also pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a female care assistant while he was convalescing after a burst appendix at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway on Sept 13 last.
Finnerty was remanded in custody and the matter adjourned until yesterday to give local garda Brendan Kineavy time to see if a caravan, which Finnerty was using to expose himself to the children as they passed by his home, could be removed from the area.
Garda Kineavy informed the court yesterday that he could have the caravan removed within weeks.
In earlier evidence, Garda Kineavy said Finnerty used to stand inside the window of the caravan and expose himself to the children as they walked by.
On a few occasions he also offered the young girls money to perform sexual acts on him.
Garda Kineavy explained that up to 200 children attended the Irish school each summer and there was concern in the locality about the accused.
The judge suspended the entire 11-month sentence for two years on condition Finnerty be of good behaviour and not reoffend; not enter the caravan beside his home and have the caravan removed altogether by Mar 20; refrain from alcohol; attend his GP and take all prescribed medication; and commence an alcohol treatment programme.
At Garda Kineavy’s suggestion, the judge also imposed a nightly curfew from 9pm to 9am on Finnerty and banned him from going near a local shop daily from 12.30pm to 2pm and again from 5.30pm to 7pm.
