'I know it was a mistake' - Waterford man jailed for sexual assault

A young man will serve a six-month prison sentence for sexually assaulting a family member.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, appeared in Waterford Circuit Court for sentencing. He committed the act in 2022, against a young girl who trusted him as a close family member.

A month after the assault, the girl told the perpetrator's mother. Eventually, the girl's mother learned about the assault and went to the Gardaí.

The victim gave a formal statement to Gardaí and the defendant had to be removed from his family home due to the fact that there were young children in the house.

He was arrested by Gardaí some time later and gave 'no comment' answers for the duration of the interview. 

Gardaí discovered a message that he had written on his phone that read: "I know it was a mistake, I'm progressing every day more and more as a person."

In her impact statement, the young girl stated that her life had been "on hold" for three years because of the assault. The impact of the assault has left her with feelings of uncertainty, emptiness, anxiety and suicidal ideation. 

She wrote that she finds it "very hard to trust anyone" because of the violation and betrayal of the perpetrator. 

The trauma affected her ability to concentrate and she fell behind at school. She fears for her younger family members who are still living in the same house as her assailant. 

The girl described how the assault broke apart her family unit, with other trusted family members supporting her attacker over her. She detailed how she wasn't able to attend family events, like birthdays and weddings without facing "terms and conditions", while the man was able to go to such occasions unheeded. 

Judge Eugene O'Kelly noted that the man gave a guilty plea right before being brought to trial for other matters concerning sexual assault. A jury returned not guilty verdicts on those matters.

Judge O'Kelly imposed a headline sentence of 18 months, reduced by eight months in mitigation. He suspended the final four months of the term. The victim was not present in court.