An elderly sex offender, alleged to have been one of six paedophiles who abused a young boy, has been jailed for two years.

Thomas Mooney (73) of Belvedere Place in Dublin was found guilty of repeatedly indecently assaulting the boy on dates between 1983 and 1985.

The court heard the victim was 11 years old when he came into contact with a man at an amusement arcade in Dublin, who sexually abused him in return for money.

The victim, now aged in his 40s, says through this man he was introduced to other paedophiles who abused him - including the accused Thomas Mooney.

He was found guilty by a jury earlier this month on eight counts of indecently assaulting the boy in the 1980s.

Following his arrest, Mr Mooney told gardai he had suffered abuse as a child and had been a rent boy in his teens in the 1950s.

Judge Catherine Murphy described it as an exceptionally difficult case meriting a four year sentence with the final two years suspended.