AN 80 year old member of St Vincent de Paul sexually assaulted a young girl for whom he had become a grandfather figure", a court was told yesterday.
Judge Cyril Kelly imposed an 18 month suspended sentence on the Dublin man, who is also involved with his local Catholic church.
The defendant pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexually assaulting the girl at his home on June 2nd, 1995. The victim was 11 at the time and lived near him.
He entered into a bond to keep the peace for three years and undertook not to contact the girl or her family.
He also undertook to serve at Masses in his local church only at a time specified by the court to ensure the girl would not be present.
Judge Kelly ordered that the man should not be named or any details given which could identify the victim.
A garda told Mr Shane Murphy, prosecuting, the defendant befriended the victim's family through visits he made with charitable donations. He babysat for them a few times and became a "grandfather figure" to the victim.
Occasionally he brought the girl on outings and on the date of the offence she went to the church.
Afterwards he brought her to his house where the assault took place. The sexual assault continued until the girl said she had to go home.
The garda said the defendant made a statement admitting he had kissed her inappropriately but denied anything else had happened.
The witness agreed with Mr George Birmingham, defending, that his client had made it clear he did not want to put the girl through the trauma of a trial.
Mr Birmingham described the case as "difficult, sad and tragic". But he submitted it was possible not to impose a custodial sentence due to his client's age, plea of guilty and his previously unblemished record.