Paedophile jailed for life

A convicted paedophile has been jailed for life by Mr Justice Paul Carney today for raping two young boys in Dublin city centre locations between 2004 and 2006.

Philip Sullivan (aged 43) a native of Kildare town and with an address at Botanic Road, Glasnevin had already served two previous separate sentences for similar offences more than a decade ago.

Sullivan pleaded guilty to 11counts including anal rape, attempted anal rape and sexual assault on two young males on dates from April 2004 to July 2006.

Garda Elaine O'Keefe told prosecuting counsel, Ms Sinead McGrath BL, that as well as raping and abusing these victims individually, Sullivan had also made them perform sex acts on each another.

Gda O'Keefe said Sullivan was previously jailed for two concurrent terms of four years each at Naas Circuit Criminal Court on November 21, 1995 and for a five-year term at the Central Criminal Court on October 6. 1997 - all for male sex assaults.

Mr Justice Carney directed that Sullivan be registered as a sex offender and said he had destroyed incredibly young lives as well as abusing the trust that had been placed in him.

"Under normal circumstances these latest (offences) would have warranted a 12-year sentence reduced to 10 years on mitigation but his previous convictions have escalated this case into a whole different category," Mr Justice Carney said.

He said that by his actions Sullivan had shown he did not respond to treatment programmes and counselling. He imposed concurrent life sentences on each rape charge and five years on the sexual assault counts.

Mr Justice Carney refused an application by defence counsel, Mr Paul Burns SC, for leave to appeal the sentence.