A man who sexually abused a young girl who was being minded by his mother has been jailed for three years.
John Glynn (28) pleaded guilty to six counts of sexual assault on dates between 2013 and 2018 at an address in Co Kildare.
The court heard that the victim wished to waive her right to anonymity to allow Glynn, of Carrighill, Calverstown, Kilcullen, Co Kildare, to be named.
Glynn is eight years older than the girl, who was aged between eight and 13 years old at the time of the offending, which took place in his family home.
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The court heard the girl was being minded by his mother at the time, and she would occasionally sleep over, with Glynn sexually assaulting her on six occasions that she stayed overnight in the house.
Imposing sentence on Monday, Ms Justice Melanie Greally noted the age difference, the victim’s vulnerability, the breach of trust and the “profound impact” on the injured party as aggravating features.
Reading her victim impact statement via videolink at a previous hearing, the woman outlined psychological effects including feelings of fear and trust issues. She said she still lives in fear and expects it may never leave her.
“This is a part of me, I survived. I can say your name, you can’t say mine now ... I have the power now. You targeted a child to feel like you did [have power], but you never did.”
Ms Justice Greally said the court had taken into consideration the contents of probation and psychological reports.
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She noted the probation report states Glynn expressed shame for his actions and accepts responsibility, but maintains he cannot remember what happened due to intoxication, either by drugs or alcohol.
She also noted that the probation report states Glynn started to consume pornography at a young age and has assessed him at high risk of further sexually harmful behaviour, with significant intervention required to address these issues.
Ms Justice Greally said a headline sentence of seven years would be appropriate for an adult offender, but reduced this to five years and six months to reflect that Glynn was a juvenile for part of the period when his offending occurred.
Having considered the mitigation and Glynn’s personal circumstances, Ms Justice Greally handed Glynn a sentence of three years.
She also imposed a two-year post-release supervision order, noting that Glynn is assessed at high risk of reoffending.
Glynn was directed to place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for two years, to engage with any sex offenders’ treatment programme and to refrain from any activity or occupation which would bring him into contact with children.
