A FORMER secondary school teacher was yesterday sentenced to three years in jail concerning 14 separate sexual offences committed against a 15-year-old female pupil.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Carroll Moran said the man (61) – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was guilty of “a serious breach of trust by a teacher, a person of authority against a 15-year-old girl”. The offences took place two years ago.
The married father of four children pleaded guilty to 10 counts of sexual exploitation and four of defilement of the girl, who was aged 15 at the time of the offences over a six-week period between September and November 2009.
Judge Moran said yesterday that most of the offences took place behind a press in a classroom in the Co Clare school, but also in other rooms in the school, and one offence took place in a bedroom at the home of the accused.
Judge Moran said that DNA evidence and CCTV footage corroborated statements the victim provided to gardaí.
Judge Moran said that, in addition, gardaí retrieved 218 text messages the accused sent to the girl, which “revealed highly inappropriate and sexually explicit contents”.
At the sentencing hearing last July, Det Sgt Michael Moloney said that, in an interview with gardaí, the accused had said: “I am deeply sorry. I was in a position of trust and I should have stopped it.”
Det Sgt Moloney said that the girl informed her parents in November 2009 of what had occurred and they complained to the school authorities.
Yesterday, Judge Moran said the man had suffered severe disgrace in his community and was forced to retire from his teaching post in March of this year.
Judge Moran said that the girl did not wish to provide a victim impact statement. The judge added: “She has done very well academically in school, is a good athlete and has an outgoing personality.”
The judge said the man pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity and that there had been no coercion or threat of violence in carrying out the offences.
Judge Moran said that gardaí believe that the man’s remorse is genuine and that the consultant psychologist’s report suggested that the accused is highly unlikely to reoffend in the future.
However, Judge Moran said the man was always aware of the age of the girl and had to be because she was one of his pupils. He said the offences were serious as they involved the premature sexualisation of a young girl, which must have consequences for her experiences in later life.
Judge Moran said the offences were committed recently, at a time when the accused must have been aware of the very severe view taken by the courts and society of the sexual exploitation of children.
He said: “I must impose a prison sentence due to the very serious nature of the offences, notwithstanding the mitigating factors.”
Judge Moran said that the man’s name would be placed on the sex offenders’ register.
In response to a request from Michael Collins, defending, for a portion of the sentence to be suspended, Judge Moran said he would not suspend any of the sentence.
