A Kerry man who kidnapped and raped a woman he met outside a disco has been jailed for eight years.
James Cronin (23), of Freemount, Rathmore, Co Kerry was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury in March following just over 30 minutes deliberation on the 12th day of his trial.
The jury convicted him of falsely imprisoning and raping the now 27-year-old woman on October 31st, 2004, in his van in a car park in a south Kerry town.
Mr Justice Henry Abbott, who directed that Cronin be registered as a sex offender under the legislation, said he noted the trauma that Cronin inflicted on his victim whom he said had been left facing the fear of a pregnancy or the contraction of a sexually transmitted disease in the aftermath.
He said Cronin "must accept the punishment of the court for his offences" and imposed an eight-year sentence for the rape.
Mr Justice Abbott also imposed a concurrent three-month sentence for the false imprisonment of the woman.
During the trial the jury was told that Cronin admitted he had sexual intercourse with the woman and had also told lies to the gardaí afterwards about his movements. Cronin denied in evidence that he committed the crimes and claimed they had consensual sex.
The victim told Mr Justice Abbott that she is still in fear as a result of the rape.