A man has been sentenced to three and half years with the final 18 months suspended for sexually abusing two young boys over 30 years ago.

The 66-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to eight counts of sexual assault of one boy between 1983 and 1985 and to sexually assaulting another boy in a once off incident in 1985.

Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, told the court that the first victim was eleven years of age when the abuse began.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring said that it is with regret these cases take so long to come through the system. She gave credit to the accused for his admissions before she sentenced him.

The court heard that the man and the first victim drank cans of beer on the beach and the accused got him into the back of a van.

While in the van, the accused pulled the boy’s trousers down around his ankles and performed oral sex on him.

The man would also force the boy to perform oral sex on him.

The court heard that he felt the accused was concerned about him and that he would feed and cloth him in general and not have sex with him every time. The sexual assault always involved masturbation and the man never had penetrative sex with the boy.

The victim first came forward about the abuse in July 2008. He made a further statement of complaint in November 2010.

Ms Small said that the other victim was fifteen years of age when he first met the accused in 1985.

The court heard that the accused had given a bottle of Southern Comfort to the teenager while giving him a lift from Monaghan to Dublin. After the teenager drank some of the alcohol he felt sick and lay in the back of the van.

He awoke later to find the accused man’s hand in his pants. He was saying "It's ok, it’s ok," but when the boy told him to stop, the accused continued molesting him.

After seeing a light in the wing mirror of the car the boy pulled up his trousers. The accused had also pulled up his own trousers before gardai banged on the side of the van and asked the man what they were doing.

The boy said nothing about what had happened and the court heard that he regretted to this day his decision to not speak up.
Philipp Rahn BL, defending, said that a letter from his client’s doctor stated that he presented with depression, stress and anxiety.

Mr Rahn said that during his old teenage years the man had attended a Christian Brothers school which had a hard regime and practised corporal punishment.