A man who sexually assaulted his niece 20 years ago has been given a two-year suspended sentence by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. He was also ordered not to have contact with his daughters without their mother's supervision.
The 45-year-old accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to one sample charge of sexually assaulting his niece in 1979. He had been convicted of sexually abusing his grandniece at a previous court sitting.
Prosecuting counsel Mr Shane Murphy said the case arose after the accused told gardai that he had been accused of being a child molester and his life had been threatened.
When the gardai investigated, the man's grandniece made a complaint of abuse and he was convicted of sexual assault.
His niece then made a complaint that she had been abused years earlier.
Defence counsel Mr George Bermingham said that probation reports before the court were very positive and his client had made good progress.
Judge Kevin Haugh said it was a very serious matter as the abuse had been carried from one generation of the family to another. Nevertheless, the offences occurred a long time ago and the accused had made efforts towards rehabilitation. He added that the sentence had been put back to assess the man's rehabilitation, and he had not disappointed the court in any way.
He warned that the accused would be sent to prison if he appeared before the courts again. He ordered him not to meet his daughters without their mother's supervision and imposed the two-year sentence, suspended for two years.