A Sligo man has been jailed for three years for sexually assaulting five young girls between 1992 and 1993, when they were aged between eight and 10 years.
The 40-year-old married man, who can not be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to committing the offences at his home and in a camper van.
He pleaded guilty to six charges of sexually assaulting the girls on unknown dates from May 1992 to September 1993.
Garda Margaret Connolly told Eanna Mullog, prosecuting, that the offences involved touching and fondling. The defendant directed certain activities which involved the children being in his company.
Judge Kevin Haugh said he was satisfied the defendant ran his house in such a way as to lure the children to him so he could carry out the offences. The probation report indicated he didn't have a full insight into the damage caused by his offending.
It was clear from the victim impact reports that the effect had been traumatic on the girls, who also had the worry of having to give evidence at a trial. They had been spared that ordeal by the defendant's guilty plea just before the trial was to begin.
Judge Haugh said the maximum sentence he could impose was five years. The defendant had pleaded guilty, though at the last minute, and had no previous convictions. He also suffered health difficulties and with all these matters taken into consideration his sentence would be three years.
Earlier, Blaise O'Carroll SC, defending, said his client was willing to undergo treatment and counselling. The defendant, in evidence, said he was sorry for the trouble he caused.
He denied he had sounded the horn of his car when he passed some of the victims, but claimed some of them made gestures at him.