Man tied girl with belt before sex assault

A Cork man tied a 14-year-old girl to a bed using a belt before sexually assaulting her, a court has heard.

The 56-year-old man was found guilty by a jury earlier this month of three counts of sexually assaulting and one count of attempted rape of his partner’s younger sister at a house in Cork between April 2008 and August 2010.

After a four-day trial, the jury also found him guilty of restricting the personal liberty of a child for sexual exploitation.

The accused had pleaded not guilty to all the charges. A not guilty verdict was directed by the judge on three other charges of sexual assault.

Timothy O’Leary SC said that his client is maintaining his innocence. Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy adjourned the matter until June 18, when he will pass sentence.

Garda Rory O’Connell told Thomas Creed SC, prosecuting, that the abuse began when the girl was aged 12 and the accused touched her private parts after handing her €10, telling her to be a good girl.

He attempted to rape her in 2009, when she was aged 14, but ended the attack when he heard two knocks at the front door.

Gda O’Connell said that, during an attack the next year, the accused went into the girl’s bedroom, took a belt from her wardrobe and tied her wrists with it. He pulled her arms over her head and pulled her clothes and underwear down.

The garda said he then sat looking at her for five minutes before untying her hands and leaving. The court heard the girl was “particularly terrified” during this incident.

In a victim impact report read into court, the girl said she still suffers from nightmares that her attacker will come back to get her and hurt her family.

She said: “I find it very hard to be around men. I do not trust men, I have no confidence in myself. I was always such a happy child. I will never get over what happened to me, this will stay with me forever.”