'He stole my childhood'- Woman tells court after being sexually abused from age 10

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A young woman from County Limerick who was sexually abused from the age of 10 by a man in his 40s, who later “fled the jurisdiction”, said she can still hear his voice whisper, “Don't tell, don’t tell, it is our little secret”.

Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard that the man sexually assaulted her at a location named in court and after swimming  and “actively groomed her for the purpose of his own sexual gratification”. 

He sent her photos of his penis and she sent him photos of her vagina and a video of her masturbating at his request.

The man, who is now aged in his 50s, cannot be named due to reporting restrictions. He was charged with 31 offences and pleaded guilty to six sample charges - three sexual assaults, two sexual exploitation of a child and one possession of child sex abuse images.

Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Garda Mark McGauley.

Mr O’Sullivan said the abuse started in 2010 when she was 10-years-old. It continued until 2015.  

“She saw him touch his penis with his hand. It was not the first time this happened. He said she was 'beautiful' and a 'special girl'. He actively groomed her for his own sexual gratification,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The abuse progressed to the accused putting the victim’s hand on his penis and he would put his fingers into her vagina.

“He told her, ‘This is our little secret’,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The prosecuting barrister said in the summer of 2011 the defendant brought the victim swimming. Afterwards they went for a walk and laid down on the grass.

“He put his hand inside her underwear and put two fingers inside her vagina,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

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He said the accused and victim would communicate via Facebook and Viber late at night when everyone was asleep. The accused requested the victim send photos of her vagina. She sent him 20 photos of her vagina and one video of her masturbating. He sent her 10 photos of his penis.

Mr O’Sullivan said the photos and video were not recovered as the accused told the victim “to delete them which she did”. 

The accused told her when she was 18 they would go to Spain and “go further." She didn’t want that,” said Mr O’Sullivan. 

The barrister said on another date the accused asked the victim to kiss his penis and he kissed her vagina.

“I asked him to stop. It felt weird,” the victim told gardai.

The child sex abuse emerged in 2015.

A formal complaint to gardai was made in 2016 and the victim was interviewed by specialist gardai. The accused was arrested in 2017. Gardai discovered 120 images of child sex abuse (not of the victim) on his phone. 

The DPP instructed the victim be charged in 2018. Mr O’Sullivan said if it was a trial it would be contended he “fled the jurisdiction”. 

Mark Nicholas SC, who represented the accused, objected, saying his client “left the jurisdiction”.

Counsel said he bought a property and ran a business.  The accused was arrested on foot of a European Arrest Warrant and was extradited back to Ireland in 2024 where he has been remanded in custody since.

The young woman, now in her 20s, read out her victim impact statement. 

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She said the abuse has permanently shaped her into the woman she is today as she suffers from severe depression, anxiety and complex post traumatic stress disorder. She said she experienced flashbacks almost daily.

 “He will never truly understand what he did to me. He stole my childhood and he stole my adulthood because I will never cleanse the memories from my mind,” she said.

The victim said her lifelong dream was to travel the world but she became consumed with fear that she would encounter her abuser in another country after he left the jurisdiction.

“The abuse continues to filter into my daily life in unexpected ways and trigger me. A song he used to play might play in a shop and it instantly transports me back, memories of what he did would surge into my mind. I can still hear his voice whisper, ‘Don't tell, don’t tell, it’s our little secret’.”

“I want the court to fully understand what I've suffered, what my life is truly like, what happened to me is not going and it never will. I am a true victim of child sexual abuse - it permeates everyday and everywhere I go.”

Mr Nicholas, for the accused, said she read the victim impact statement eloquently and the mitigation he gives, on behalf of his client, doesn’t take away from that. He said it was an awfully regrettable breach of trust.

Mr Nicholas said his client is aged in his 50s, has pleaded guilty and did charity work. 

He cited a psychological report which put the defendant at a below average risk of reoffending.

Counsel read out a letter of apology from the accused in which he expressed his remorse and shame. 

A member of the victim’s family said from the body of the court: “We don’t accept your apology.”

Judge Colin Daly said he wished to take the matter under consideration and adjourned sentencing to Monday, July 28.