Serial paedophile given suspended term for abuse

A former priest and serial child abuser got a three-year suspended sentence for molesting a 14-year-old altar boy 30 years ago.

Patrick Maguire, 77, who is living under a strict regime with the Columban Fathers in Dalgan Park, Navan, Co Meath, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting the boy between Jan 1, 1983 and Dec 31, 1984.

The court heard the abuse came to an end when Maguire visited the victim’s mother and enquired as to the age of her son.

A few day later, the boy got a letter from Maguire together with a postal order for £2.50. He apologised in the note and said he should not have interfered with young children.

Maguire received a three-year suspended sentence from Judge Mary Ellen last January for sexually abusing a 10-year-old boy in 1981.

He has 13 previous convictions for similar offences, including a six-year sentence from Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court in 2000. He is a registered sex offender.

Garda Ronan McMorrow told Pieter Le Vert BL, prosecuting, the 43-year-old victim, who cannot be named, suffers psychological effects from the abuse.

Maguire was arrested in Dec 2010 after the victim made a complaint to the gardaí the previous August.

In a follow-up interview, he described himself as having an addiction at the time and admitted he had spent a lot time around children.

Maguire told gardaí he cuddled the boy in bed while they were both naked and said it was “a loving touching” which he maintained had been mutual.

He said he had just returned from Japan, where “nudity was acceptable”.

Shane Costelloe BL, defending, asked Gda McMorrow to pass on his client’s “sincere apologies for his behaviour” to the victim.

Judge Ring said Maguire had caused “unspeakable” harm to the victim who had been a “vulnerable young man at the time”.

She acknowledged that the priest is living under the supervision of the order, and said it was appropriate that the order “bear the cost” of Maguire, not the State.