Man used Facebook to groom girl, 14, for sex act

A 42-year-old man who groomed a 14-year-old girl over Facebook and texted her to meet him for oral sex was jailed yesterday in what is one of the first cases of its kind before the courts.

Brian O’Keeffe, of New Town, Ballyclough, Mallow, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to two counts at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin remanded him in custody for sentencing on June 16. The victim wanted him identified and when this issue was raised the judge said: “This man has to be named. He groomed a child for a prolonged period of time.”

Prosecution barrister Donal McCarthy said, in relation to the particular grooming charge under 2007 legislation, that it was possibly the first case in this jurisdiction.

Brian O’Keeffe admitted that between August 1, 2013, and September 30, 2013, he intentionally met the child, having previously met or communicated with the said child on two or more occasions and did so for the purpose of sexual exploitation of the child.

The second charge was one of engaging in a sexual act with a girl under 15 during the same period, where there was penetration of the mouth with the penis.

Judge Ó Donnabháin noted from a psychotherapist’s report on the accused that he was a suicide risk.

The judge ordered that this would be brought to the attention of the prison governor.

Ray Boland, defence barrister, said the accused had been sexually abused himself as a child.

The judge responded by saying that he had often heard such a thing being said in sexual assault cases, but he did not understand the nexus between being abused and abusing, even though it was often cited.

Sergeant Eileen Kelly investigated the case and testified yesterday that the teenager at the centre of the case was vulnerable at the time because of family circumstances and that the accused came into her life with the appearance of supporting her in a paternal way, but developed it into a boyfriend-girlfriend type relationship where the sexual content of texts became more and more explicit.

He contacted her on her Facebook page and through texts and later referred her to sexually explicit websites where she could be instructed on oral sex.

O’Keeffe began to tell her of not having sex with his wife; and at about 3am one Saturday/Sunday he set up a meeting with her.

She sneaked out of her house and in his car he performed oral sex on her and got her to perform oral sex on him.

The grooming and the sexual assault came to light when a family member of the victim spotted the texts and a couple of emails with explicit sexual content.

The teenager testified yesterday that at the age of 14 she was the victim of sexual assault with someone she had been encouraged to trust.

“He took my vulnerability as a way of working his way into my life. He took everything from me. The fear I have is in my heart every day. I think back to that moment of how you abused me. When I go out I look around in fear that I might see your face. I keep going over it. I feel dirty and ashamed, pain and disgust. I cry when I should be happy. You have affected my whole life in a way you could not imagine. I have waited for this day for a long time,” the teenage victim said from the witness box at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.