Man who sexually abused cousins he was babysitting jailed for nine years

Declan Brennan

A man who sexually abused his two young cousins he was babysitting has been jailed for nine years.

Edward McGregor (55) groomed the two girls and subjected them to repeated acts of sexual assaults, including oral rape and attempted rape over the course of eight years, the Central Criminal Court heard.

The abuse took place from 1986 to 1993 when the children were aged six to 13 years old.

McGregor, of Weavers Square, Baltinglass, Co Wicklow, was aged 15 when he began abusing the children and was aged 22 when the abuse finally ended.

Most of the abuse took place at their family home on Donard Avenue, Blackhorse Avenue, Dublin 7, with some of the assaults carried out at his family home in Poppintree, Ballymum, Dublin 9.

Last November, when the trial at the Central Criminal Court was due to get on for a third time, McGregor enter guilty pleas to sexual assaulting Frances McGregor and Caitriona Carr by penetration of the mouth with his penis. He later pleaded to another 12 counts of sexual assault and one of attempted rape.

The two women have waived their anonymity.

Imposing sentence on Monday morning, Judge Eileen Creedon noted that McGregor was the designated babysitter for the victims.

'Keep sketch'

While abusing one girl inside a bedroom he would force one girl to “keep sketch” outside the room.

He would force the girls to give him oral sex and could ejaculate on their face and hair. Judge Creedon said that this humiliating aspect of the offending was an aggravating factor.

She noted that while McGregor was a minor when he began the abuse, the most serious offences were committed after he had turned 18. She said that there was evidence that he accepts responsibility for the offending but has no memory of the abuse.

Judge Creedon said that the abuse has taken an immense toll on the lives of the victims, impacting their mental health and their ability to trust people.

She set a headline sentence of 13 years which she reduced to 10 years in light of mitigating factors, including the pleas of guilty and McGregor's apology.

She suspended the final year for two years and ordered that McGregor be registered as a sex offender.

Joint statement

In a joint statement provided to the media outside of court, the two victims said that they hoped the long delay they experienced in getting justice will lead to a change in the way cases like this are dealt with.

“The journey through the court system since then has been long, exhausting, and emotionally difficult.

“This verdict does not erase the pain, trauma, and lasting impact this has had on our lives and our family. While we are relieved that the truth has finally been recognised by the court, we are deeply frustrated by how long and difficult this process became.

“The repeated delays and drawn-out proceedings added enormous stress and emotional strain. At times, it felt as though the person found guilty was being portrayed more as a victim than those of us who have carried the consequences of these actions for decades.

“No family should have to wait this long for justice or feel re-traumatised by the court process itself. We hope this case encourages changes that place greater focus on supporting victims and preventing unnecessary delays in the future.

“For us, this verdict is not about revenge. It is about accountability, truth, and finally being heard. We now hope to move forward with peace, privacy, and healing.”

The two women thanked the gardaí for the compassion and determination shown throughout the process.

Victim impact statement

In her victim impact statement, Frances McGregor told the court that Edward McGregor groomed her from an early age and she was terrified she would be taken away from her family.

“He had everyone fooled. Little did they know how evil he really is,” she said. She described how her abuser would get each sister to stand outside the bedroom door “keeping guard” while he was in the room abusing the other child.

She said that McGregor told her she was his girlfriend and this was their little secret and not to tell anyone. He told her that nobody would believe her and she would be taken away.

She said before pleading guilty, McGregor had instructed his legal team to get counselling records for the complainants.

“I thought they would be confidential,” she said.

Carr told the court that after the abuse began, she begged her mother to let somebody else babysit them. She was 10 when McGregor tried to rape her, after telling her that what he was going to do “was a special thing that made a man feel happy”.

She said she didn't understand what he was doing, felt ashamed and felt she couldn't tell anyone about it.

McGregor pleaded guilty to a total of 10 counts of sexual assault of Ms McGregor on unknown dates between 1986 and 1993. He pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual assault of Carr between 1986 and 1993 and to a single count of attempted rape of Carr on an unknown date sometime between January 1990 and December 1993.

Carr was aged between 11 and 14 when McGregor tried to rape her. All the offending came to light in 2019 when Carr became very depressed and told her husband about the abuse.

Her husband confronted McGregor who was then living with his mother. In March 2021, the defendant made a voluntary statement to gardaí denying all allegations.

Family photo

When investigators showed him a family photo, he claimed that it wasn't him in the picture and that it was his twin brother. After his arrest later that year, he again denied all the allegations.

A legal application was subsequently made to cross-examine Francis McGregor with regard to her counselling notes. When the trial was due to get on in late 2024, the defendant was hospitalised with diabetes.

When the case was due to get on again in May 2025, he failed to show and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The court heard he had again gone into hospital - this time with significant injuries from an incident of self harm.

On his next appearance, McGregor was remanded into custody.

John Byrne, defending, submitted to the court that his client had no previous convictions and had not come to garda attention since.

He said McGregor had been “completely disowned” by his family, with his mother believing the complainants once the abuse was disclosed in 2019. He was made to leave the family home and was rendered homeless as a result.

Byrne said his client has had various incidences of self harm, including times in custody which led to him being hospitalised due to the extent of those injuries.

Counsel handed in various cases law for the consideration of the court. He submitted that the court must assess his client’s culpability as a 15-year-old and 23-year-old rather than a 55-year-old man.

Byrne said the victim impact statements before the court were “compelling”. He said his client is ashamed of his behaviour and is genuinely remorseful for the harm he caused and regrets his actions.

He is willing to engage with whatever type of rehabilitation is available in prison “to deal with his demons”. Counsel asked the court to structure the sentence in such a way to give McGregor “some light at the end of the tunnel”.

Eilis Brennan, prosecuting, told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) places the case at the higher range of such offences due to the significant age gap between McGregor and his cousins, the breaches of trust as he was acting as their babysitter, the fact that it occurred in their family home, that many of the offences were “particularly humiliating” and that the offences occurred over a five-year period.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.