A 24-year-old man, who told investigating gardaí he was a boy lover, was yesterday sentenced to five years in jail with two years suspended after he pleaded guilty to raping one boy and sexually assaulting another.
Donie Connolly, Ardnatrush, Glengarriff, Co Cork, admitted sexually assaulting one boy at a caravan park in Co Kerry and raping another boy at a house in the Cork area between January 1st, 2002, and December 31st, 2003, when both boys were aged about 12.
Supt Thomas Dixon told an earlier hearing that Connolly told gardaí he was attracted to boys aged between eight and 12 and, in a letter to the court, said he couldn't apologise for his sexual inclination, over which he had no choice.
However, Connolly did apologise to his 12-year-old victims in the letter and he described his crimes as monumental errors of judgment. "I feel no court could judge me more harshly than I judge myself," he said.
Connolly had done one year of teacher-training at the Mary Immaculate College in Limerick but gave it up because of the Catholic ethos of the college. He later became involved with the Jehovah's Witnesses and subsequently with another Christian group, the court heard.
Yesterday consultant psychiatrist Dr David Dunne told Cork Circuit Criminal Court that Connolly, despite being quite intelligent, was very immature and because of an incident in his past, had created a fantasy world and a fantasy view of himself.
He said he believed that Connolly needed counselling to deal with his view of sexual behaviour, as well as a programme to sort out his emotional problems.
He recommended that if Connolly was to be jailed, that he be sent to Arbour Hill, where there is such a programme.
Dr Dunne said Connolly's whole concept of life and himself was unrealistic, but a programme of counselling could help him. "I would think he has a reasonable chance of growing up and changing himself and being much safer," he added.
Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said that in both cases, Connolly was in a position of trust with regard to his victims, that he had betrayed this trust and had caused them considerable upset when he violated their physical and emotional integrity.
He noted Connolly had no previous convictions and that his plea of guilty had saved his victims having to give evidence.