A Dublin man has been jailed for six years by Mr Justice Carney at the Central Criminal Court for raping a then nine-year-old neighbour on a nearby golf course.
Mark Bennett (29), a father of one of Moyclare Close, Baldoyle, pleaded guilty to raping the girl in 1992.
His previous convictions included two sentences in Ireland and England for arson.
The victim and her family asked the media to name Bennett and expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
The victim's father told the court that since the rape was revealed he had become addicted to newspaper reports of sexual abuse cases and comparing the sentences given in each one. There had been no indication of apology from Bennett's family, he said.
"I have come here today looking for justice but no matter what sentence he gets it won't be enough, although I know what I would do with him," he said.
Mr Justice Carney said most reports as published by the newspapers only gave the barest summary of all the factors in each case and any judgment made on them would of necessity be inadequate.
"This court is dealing with 160 cases a year and endeavours as far as possible that every sentence is comparable one with another taking all the facts of the case, the circumstances of the victim as well as the effect on him or her, and all the material circumstances of the defendant into consideration," Mr Justice Carney said.
He told the victim's father he mightn't be happy with his final decision but that the Court of Criminal Appeal had directed sentencing judges to take various factors into consideration and if that wasn't done, then the Appeal Court would do it.
The victim, her sister and her father told Mr Justice Carney the rape had a devastating effect on the family. The victim had attempted suicide in recent years as well as self-mutilation and was only now settling down.
Mr Justice Carney said was a "heinous" rape and while it hadn't involved aggravating factors found in most of the 160 cases dealt with by the court, one of its most serious aspects had been the extreme effect it had on the victim. He noted Bennett came from a dysfunctional background.
Mr Justice Carney imposed a six-year sentence and as Bennett pleaded guilty and hadn't occupied a trial slot, he unconditionally suspended the final year.
Garda Dan Quinlan told Ms Maureen Clark SC, prosecuting, that the rape happened when Bennett inveigled the victim into bushes at Sutton Golf Club. Bennett seemed satisfied to have had the opportunity to admit his crime and said he had been sexually abused as a child by a local shopkeeper.
Mr Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, said there was no independent forensic evidence so Bennett's guilty plea had saved the victim having to take part in a trial.
Mr O'Carroll said the connection between repressed sexuality and arson had been well established.