Mayo paedophile is 'every parent's worst nightmare'
The defendant pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A Mayo man who preyed on a 10-year-old boy is “every parent’s worst nightmare”, a court was told.
The 47-year-old accused, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to charges of sexual assault and travelling to meet a child for the purpose of sexual exploitation.
On June 29, 2022, the injured party reported the assault to his grandmother soon after it occurred. He had initially met the accused through his cousins and they spoke again on the social media channel Snapchat.
The accused encouraged him to skip football training and meet him in a graveyard. He drove them to a lake and offered the boy alcohol, vapes, and drugs which the child refused.
While in the back of the van, the man pulled down the boy's pants and started sucking his penis. The boy told him to stop and tried to push him off but the accused would not get off him. It was only when the boy started roaring and shouting louder that he stopped.
On July 1, 2022, Gardaí obtained a search warrant for the accused's home. His van was seized but he claimed he lost his phone. Two pillows, a duvet, cannabis, Vaseline, and a knife were found in the van.
When interviewed by Gardaí, the 47-year-old said the boy added him on Snapchat and he didn’t want to add him back. He was captured on CCTV in the area where the assault took place. The man claimed he and the victim “just went for a spin” and were throwing stones at the lake. The man’s DNA was discovered on the boy’s underwear.
The defendant has one previous conviction for a public order offence.
The court heard victim impact statements from the boy’s grandmother and father.
His grandmother said she is constantly in fear that something will happen to him every time he leaves the house. She said her grandson suffered from nightmares following his ordeal.
“He went to play football and this happened to him.
“I thank God every day that this did not go any further and he came back to us and he told us,” said his grandmother.
The boy’s father said his son’s childhood and innocence have been stolen from him. What occurred was “every parent’s worst nightmare" and "it has hurt his young life in so many ways".
Judge Eoin Garavan adjourned the case until February 14, 2025, for probation and psychological reports.
