A man who sexually abused a girl when she was a child and at her “most vulnerable” and “most unprotected” has been jailed for four years.
Sean Cole (52), of Clanranald Road, Donnycarney, Dublin, pleaded guilty to four counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexually assaulting the girl at the same address on dates between January 1987 and December 1991.
He was aged between 16 and 20 at the time of the offending, and she was a child who was seven years younger than him.
The complainant waived her right to anonymity so Cole could be named, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard on Tuesday.
Cole entered guilty pleas to six of the 48 counts against him on the first day of his trial last May, on the basis that these were sample counts and the case against him would be heard on a full facts basis.
The court heard that the girl spent a lot of time in a house where Cole was living at the time of the offending, as she had siblings who suffered with a serious illness and her parents spent a lot of time in hospital.
Cole abused her by digitally penetrating her and forcing her to masturbate him, the court heard.
Sentencing him on Tuesday, Judge Orla Crowe said Cole “violated a small girl's bodily integrity at a time when she was at her most vulnerable and possibly most unprotected”.
The judge said the complainant had a very difficult childhood and her family situation was “fraught” at the time. The judge said her victim impact statement was a harrowing account of the abuse she received at the hands of Cole and that she had shown great dignity during the process.
Since this offending, Cole has amassed another previous conviction for sexual assault, the court heard.
He left school with no exams and worked as a courier and delivery driver. He is married with no children.
Judge Crowe set a headline sentence of 10 years, which she reduced to five years, taking into account mitigating factors, including Cole's guilty pleas. She suspended the final year on a number of conditions.
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.
