Man jailed for sexual assault of seven-year-old girl

A convicted sex offender who told a seven-year-old girl he would kill her with a knife if she told anyone he had abused her has been jailed for seven years.

Judge Patrick McCartan said the “appalling abuse” had catastrophic circumstances on the girl. He commended her courage in reporting it to her mother.

The man, who is related to the victim, went on the run for four years after failing to appear for his sentence hearing in 2007.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the girl attended psychotherapy for two years after the abuse was disclosed. She had an eating disorder for a number of years because, according to her therapist, eating was the way she controlled her life.

The 33-year-old man pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault in the girl’s Kerry home between December 12, 2003 and March 8, 2004. He was registered a sex offender following his plea.

He has 39 previous convictions, which include a sex assault on a foster sister 13 years ago, larceny, assault causing harm and road traffic offences. The man has spent some time over the years in psychiatric care.

Judge McCartan said the offending was at the upper end of the scale and had had catastrophic circumstances for the victim.

He said the man denied the offenses at first and then, after making some admissions, went on the run before he could be sentenced.

Detective Sergeant John Heaslip told Karen O’Connor BL, prosecuting that while making admissions to gardai, the man claimed that the seven-year-old had snuggled up to him one evening and touched him outside of his clothes. He claimed that he touched her too but soon afterwards put a stop to it.

Det Sgt Heaslip said that the girl told her mother that the man had “poked me in the middle” when he was staying in the house in Christmas 2003.

She said he had threatened to kill her with a knife if she told anyone about the abuse.

Det Sgt Heaslip told Judge McCartan that the girl is recovering “slowly” and that she doesn’t want to be considered different to other children at her school.

At a previous court hearing, Judge McCartan told the mother of the now 15-year-old, who did not attend court herself, of his regard for the girl.

“I commend your daughter and her relationship with you that at such a young age she was able to come to you and tell you. By reason of her courage and strength and her relationship with you, she was able to put an end to the abuse,” the judge said.

“I have nothing put the highest of regard for her,” Judge McCartan said.