A Wicklow man who allegedly sexually molested seven schoolchildren in his house five years ago admitted in a statement to gardai he did "things" to the girls, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told.
Sgt Jack Kellagher told Mr Barry Hickson, prosecuting, that in the statement made on November 15th, 1995, after his arrest, he said: "I did these things to the girls because I was messing and only playing. My sons were always there and I didn't know I was doing wrong at the time."
Sgt Kellagher said before this the defendant had denied all the allegations and wondered where they came from.
The jury heard evidence via video-link from four girls in the case in which the 37-year-old defendant has pleaded not guilty to a total of 31 charges of sexual assault relating to seven girls on dates from 1993 to 1995.
Similar evidence has been heard from two other girls via video-link. The girls denied suggestions by Mr John Whelan SC, defending, that they were concocting the story and talking about it among friends to get some of the defendant's compensation money from a work accident.
"Why would I want his money?" one girl asked Mr Whelan.
Another girl said she was trying to save others from getting molested by him.
Mr Whelan put to the four girls the suggestion that a female friend of the accused had overheard them "making up the story".
Each girl strongly denied this, with one girl saying the woman had something "going" with the accused.
The hearing continues.