An uncle who raped and sexually abused his teenage nephew over a period of seven years, and who claimed they were in a consensual relationship, has been jailed for 11 years.
The 47-year-old man, who cannot be named to preserve the anonymity of his victim, was convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury in Dublin last May on 11 counts of rape, 10 counts of defilement, five counts of sexual assault and one of sexual exploitation of a child.
The offences occurred on dates between 2007 and 2014 in Co Longford.
The court heard that the “painful sexual, physical and psychological abuse” took place two to three times a week, beginning when the boy was 13 years old, and continuing until he was 20.
A local Garda sergeant told Alex Owens SC, prosecuting, that the offences took place in the defendant’s bedroom at the victim’s grandmother’s house, in a car while parked at a farm gateway, and at places where both the accused and the victim were working together.
Grandmother’s house
The court heard the accused first sexually abused the boy in his bedroom when the victim was staying over in his grandmother’s house and there were no spare rooms available.
The sergeant said the defendant constantly texted and rang his nephew throughout his teenage years, always wanting to know where he was and who he was with.
“He exercised a great deal of control and manipulation over his victim. He anally raped him, masturbated him, orally raped him, and forced him to engage in other sexual acts,” the sergeant said.
In a victim impact statement the 22-year-old described how his uncle mentally tortured him and rendered his teenage years “a sad blur – I cannot remember any happy time”.
“I was trapped, I couldn’t enjoy anything. I was too scared to tell anyone. I can’t look at him – he makes me sick to my stomach.”
Attempted suicide
The man said he had attempted suicide numerous times but was now in a stable relationship and had a child.
Ronan Munro SC, defending, said his client continued to maintain his innocence, and said he had a romantic consensual relationship with his nephew, beginning when the victim was 18 years old.
In sentencing, Mr Justice Paul McDermott said that the use of alcohol, cigarettes, cannabis and cash to buy the victim’s silence amounted to blackmail and an abhorrent abuse of trust. He sentenced the defendant to concurrent sentences totalling 11 years.