A Galway man paid £1.50 to the father of a mildly mentally impaired teenage woman to have sexual intercourse with her, Mr Justice Carney heard at the Central Criminal Court.
The judge said the "unfortunate girl" had either been sold by her father for the "price of a pint", or merely "handed over on a plate" to four men, who he jailed for their actions.
Mr Justice Carney said the activities would have been lawful if the woman had not had a mental disability, which had been described to him a "mild", and he asked if her father was getting away with his actions.
Supt Tony Finnerty said the woman had refused to press charges against her father, and while the Garda had sent a file to the Director of Public Prosecution, the DPP could go no further with the case.
Sean McGuinness (32), of St Mary's Road, Galway, was given a four-year sentence by Mr Justice Carney, who noted his previous conviction for a sexual assault which had attracted a 12- year sentence.
Owen Maughen (30), of Cart na Mara, Portumna, Galway, and Christopher Tully (24), of Musside Mews, Derryaghy, Belfast, were each given three-year sentences. All three men had nine months of their sentence suspended.
Peter Murray (23), of Ballinderry Park, Mayfield, Cork, was given a two-year sentence for attempting to have sexual intercourse with the woman on the same occasion, August 21st, 1998.
Supt Finnerty told prosecuting counsel, Ms Pauline Wally, the woman was in Galway with her father on the night of August 20th, 1998, when they met Maughen, with whom the woman's father was acquainted.
Maughen told her father he would give him £1.50 if he brought his daughter down to a shed. The father agreed and when they reached the shed, they found the other three defendants. Supt Finnerty said Maughen then proceeded to have sexual intercourse with the woman while her father was in the shed.
McGuinness and Tully had sexual intercourse with her on a piece of waste ground nearby while her father was in the vicinity. All four were arrested at the scene the next day after she took gardaí there. They said the sexual activity was consensual.
Supt Finnerty said the woman sometimes expressed anger towards the men but at other times would seek reassurance that she was doing the right thing by going to court.
She also said she feared that if she had been a target for these men she would be a target for others.