A man has been jailed for three years for the sexual assault and sexual exploitation of a teenage girl in foster care.
The 47-year-old pleaded to one count of sexual assault, five counts of engaging in sexual activity in the presence of a child and three counts of using technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child.
The offences occurred between November 2021 and April 2023, when the victim was aged between 14 and 16 years old.
The man can’t be named to protect the victim’s anonymity.
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Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the girl was in foster care at the time and the man was then in a relationship with the daughter of her foster mother.
The offending came to light after the teenager’s foster mother discovered messages of a sexual nature between the girl and the man.
The man was interviewed voluntarily by gardaí. He told gardaí he was aware of the girl’s circumstances and her age and admitted giving her money, vapes and cannabis.
When asked by gardaí about the sexual assault, the man admitted touching and kissing her breasts, but suggested the girl had instigated it.
He accepted sending the girl sexually explicit voice messages and getting her to send similar messages to him in exchange for vapes.
The court was told gardaí estimate that a minimum of 20 incidents occurred.
The girl declined to make a victim impact statement and is no longer living in that particular foster care situation.
A garda agreed with Mark Lynam SC, defending, that the man made full admissions and appeared to have a level of insight into his offending when interviewed by gardaí.
It was further accepted that the man told gardaí his relationship was dysfunctional and that he had addictions to pornography and alcohol.
The garda further agreed with Mr Lynam that the man has concerns about returning to the area where he used to live, but there are no specific threats against him.
A psychological report was handed to the court. Mr Lynam said the report states his client developed a sex addiction and his use of alcohol was a disinhibiting factor. He said the report states his client is no longer using sex as a coping mechanism, is not viewing pornography and attends AA meetings.
Counsel said the man is motivated to address his issues and has some family support. He said his client wishes to focus on his relationship with his four children and to get back to work upon his release from custody.
Judge Martin Nolan said the man had engaged in “serious misbehaviour” and that the girl witnessed “obscene behaviour”.
He imposed a three-year sentence, backdated to when the man went into custody in 2023.
