Abuser offers house as compensation to victims
Not to impose a custodial sentence would have meant the court would have failed in its duty, a judge said at Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee yesterday.
At his sentencing hearing, Michael Moran, of Colbert Street, Listowel, who walked with a stick and wore an ear piece, had offered to transfer his house, his sole asset, to his victims in compensation.
His barrister John O’Sullivan said prison would be difficult for him. He was in poor health. He was offering to transfer his house “as an acknowledgement of his wrong doing”.
However, Judge Thomas E O’Donnell said he would not enter into the civil side of things, and he refused to enter into discussion about the offer of the house.
Moran had pleaded guilty to the sexual assault of two boys in 2004 when one boy was aged 15; and in 2007 when the second boy was aged just six. The inappropriate sexual behaviour had been “planned and premeditated”, the judge said.
The effect on all concerned including the boys’ parents had been “traumatic”; the world of the children and their parents had been turned upside down and the parents blamed themselves, the judge noted. “The parents are not at fault. The children are not at fault,” Judge O’Donnell said.
He said he hoped now that all concerned could draw a line in the sand.
Judge O’Donnell said Moran’s “modus operandi” had been to gain the children’s trust with treats or money. The younger victim had been so young, specially trained personnel had to be engaged to interview him, he noted. It had affected every aspect of the life of the older victim.
His behaviour had robbed the boys of the joys of cheerfully growing up and what the accused had done was “engaged in inappropriate sexual behaviour for his own gratification,” the judge said.
Judge O’Donnell said this was a very difficult case for him.
He imposed a sentence of three years, and suspended the final 18 months on condition that Moran not re-offend. He is to be placed on the sex offenders’ register for a period of 10 years.
