A court has heard a registered sex offender used a false identity to groom an boy (11) who he systematically abused over a six month period.

The Dublin man (38) has pleaded guilty to 14 charges of sexual assault and defilement between December 2008 and June 2009.

'I hate you for what you have done' - they are the words of the now victim (now 17) to the man who systematically abused him, even after the death of the young boy's mother.

The abuser was described in court as a predator, a man who groomed the young boy by luring him into his den at a time when the child was not being properly parented.

The man has previous convictions for sexually abusing boys. In 2008, he was already a registered sex offender but he managed to dupe the authorities by using an alias and lying about where he was living.

Mr. Justice Paul Carney expressed the view that this might be one of those cases where the Court of Criminal Appeal might uphold a life sentence.

However the hearing was still underway and the matter has yet to be finalised.