A CO Kilkenny parish priest was jailed yesterday for eight years for sexual offences against boys. Reporting restrictions imposed by the judge at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court prohibit the media from identifying the man.
The 48 year old Kilkenny priest was given an eight year sentence for buggery of an altar boy. A five year sentence was imposed for attempted buggery of the same teenage altar boy during the Christmas period in 1993 and a further six terms of three years for sexual assaults on other youths who had been in trouble with the law. All the sentences are to run concurrently.
The media have also been prohibited from naming the parishes in which the defendant worked. The court heard that as part of his continuing therapy the priest has revealed all the details of his sexual offences to the priests of the Diocese of Ossory.
Judge Cyril Kelly said the defendant had not only been in a position of trust but was also a friend, a pastor and a figure of moral guidance. His offending was not spontaneous and the evidence showed his manipulation called for skilful planning on his part. Reports showed his victims had been devastated and were still traumatised as a result of his actions.
An application by Mr Patrick MacEntee SC (appearing with Ms Iseult O'Malley), defending, for leave to appeal against the severity of the eight year and five year sentences was released by Judge Kelly.
The priest admitted a total of eight charges relating to sexual offences with males in the years 1989 to 1993. He pleaded guilty to buggering a male on April 9th or 10th, 1993, and to attempting to rape him within the meaning of Section 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990, on a date unknown in November or December 1993.
He also admitted indecently assaulting males on or about December 31st, 1989, and also on a date unknown in August 1990. He also pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a male on a date in August 1991. He further pleaded guilty to three charges of indecently assaulting another youth on dates between August 1986 and June 1987.
Supt Vincent Duff told Mr Patrick Gageby SC (with Mr Stephen Lannigan O'Keele), prosecuting, that the matter first came to light when a youth sexually assaulted a child in a public street. The offender was one of two teenagers whom the priest had brought with him to the Galway Races, when a sexual assault took place.
Supt Duff said that in the case of the altar boy the priest collected the boy from his family home on Good Friday in 1993 and took him to his own house.
The boy's family had no suspicion of anything amiss.
The boy claimed that sexual activity including buggery continued for several hours at the priest's house.
The victim was again in the defendant's house at Christmas 1993. Sexual assaults continued then for about 30 minutes and included attempted buggery.
Supt Duff said the priest took two youths to the Galway Races in August 1990. One of these had been referred to his care because he had nowhere to live after serving time in prison. They were booked into a room with a double and single bed and then went to a pub for some drinks.
Back at the house, the priest directed one of the youths to get into the double bed with him. The youth, refused and ran to hide in a toilet. When he finally emerged he went to the bed wearing his jeans and the priest grabbed his testicles through the trousers.
The youth reacted by grabbing his assailant by the throat and shouting at him to "f . . . o . .". He was left alone after that.
Supt Duff said that another youth was sexually assaulted by the priest, who had just returned from Lourdes at about 2 a.m. The youth had been living at the defendant's house and was sleeping in the priest's bed while he was away.
Dealing with the three charges concerning one victim, Supt Duff said this youth was placed under the priest's care by a person who ran a hostel attached to a reformatory. At first the youth had had his own bedroom, but eventually the priest had begun making sexual advances.
The priest got the boy to sit on his lap and caressed him and eventually got him to sleep with him in his bed once a week. This became more regular and masturbation as well as simulated intercourse would take place.
Judge Kelly heard evidence from this victim, who claimed that a probation officer failed to act on his allegations of what the defendant had done to him. He said the priest's actions had had a terrible effect on his life, including the break up of his marriage.
Supt Duff agreed with Mr MacEntee that the priest indicated at an early stage that he would not put his victims through the trauma of having to give evidence in court. The defendant himself had also revealed names of victims in his statements.
He also agreed that the priests had done a tremendous amount of good work in all the parishes in which he had worked as curate and parish priest. He had helped the handicapped, old folk, youths and young married couples, as well as involvement in other community activities.
The defendant came from a farming background, and was very energetic and highly intelligent and motivated. Supt Duff added that the priest had expressed remorse for his actions in statements.
Ms Suzanne Jenkins, a psychologist, said the defendant was referred to her in July 1994. She told Mr MacEntee her first task was "to undo the damage done by the lawyers" who had advised the priest to say nothing. "Therapy has to get the client to see he must take the courageous rather than defensive way and reveal everything," she said.
The priest in this case did not feel at first that he was an abuser and attempted to both minimise and justify his behaviour. Soon after that he began to accept the nature of his offending and shared information of the highest quality about his manipulation of his victims.