Man jailed for rape of 13-year-old
A man in his 50’s has received a prison term of nine years for the sexual assault and rape of a 13-year-old girl.
A man in his 50’s has received a prison term of nine years for the sexual assault and rape of a 13-year-old girl.
The crime took place at a private dwelling in the South-East region where the victim was staying with family members. She had known the man her ‘whole life’ as he was a close friend to her family.
The man cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim.
On a date in 2025, the girl was staying overnight at a relative’s house while her mother went out socialising with the defendant and others. After they arrived home, the man was supposed to sleep on a couch in the sitting room, while the mother slept in a downstairs bedroom and the girl slept in an upstairs bedroom.
In the early hours of the morning, the girl came downstairs to the kitchen to get a glass of water. In the kitchen, the man came up to her and groped her all over her body.
The girl froze in shock and fear and was unable to cry out for help. He led her into the sitting room where he orally raped her.
The girl went upstairs in shock, thinking that was the end of the assault. Five minutes later, the man entered her room, took off her trousers, pushed her onto the bed and raped her. The victim later told Gardaí that he put on a condom before raping her.
After he raped her, he said she had a ‘lovely body’ and that ‘one day he’d have all to himself’. As he left the room he told her not to tell anyone what had happened.
The rape was reported to Gardaí a few weeks later, after the victim's mother checked her phone. The child had made a number of online queries about abortion and the risk of pregnancy. One search query read: ‘How to have an abortion at home’.
When her mother confronted her, she went up to her bedroom upset. She eventually broke down and told her mother what had happened, apologising to her as she described being raped by the defendant. Justice Biggs later stated: “She said she was sorry because her mother ‘really liked him’.”
After reporting the rape, the victim had a specialist Garda interview and received a medical examination.
The man was detained and interviewed shortly afterwards.
He denied the allegations and claimed that the child’s mother had tried to have sex with him on the night in question, but he declined her advances. He told Gardaí that the child had been ‘put up to it’ by her mother as revenge.
The defendant was found guilty after a jury trial held in early July at Waterford Central Criminal Court.
He was represented by Colman Cody SC, while Marc Thompson SC acted as prosecutor on behalf of the State.
The man did not accept the verdict of the jury and continues to deny any responsibility. He has a number of previous convictions including assault, but no convictions involving sexual violence.
He is a father to several adult children and was once married. His work history was described as ‘sporadic’.
In her victim impact statement, the girl wrote about the anger she feels everyday since the rape. She has turned to alcohol to try numb the pain and fears that she will never be the ‘happy girl’ she was before. She wrote: “My mammy is trying really hard to get me back.” She said that she cannot sleep at night until she is sure that everyone in the house is ‘safe’. She wrote: “I feel like it would be better if I’m dead. I have so much hate in me I don’t think I’ll ever come back.”
At the sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Sharon Dempsey outlined the facts of the case before Justice Caroline Biggs.
Mr Cody informed Justice Biggs that his client’s family, partner and children were still supportive of him. He noted that he was a strong support to his sister and brother, the latter of whom is experiencing serious health problems.
Mr Cody said that the man maintains his innocence and rejects the verdict.
Justice Biggs said that he broke the trust of the child "for his own perverse sexual satisfaction". She passed a sentence of 9 years in total for the charge of rape and 6 years for sexual assault, both to run concurrently. He will be subject to probation supervision for three years post-release.
Justice Biggs requested Det. Dempsey to urge Tusla Child and Family Agency to ensure that the child is seen by CAMHS as soon as possible.
