Judge orders victim impact reports before sentencing

A Catholic priest admitted yesterday to sexually abusing eight boys in Dublin on unknown dates from the late 1960s

A Catholic priest admitted yesterday to sexually abusing eight boys in Dublin on unknown dates from the late 1960s. Ivan Payne (54), with an address care of the Archdiocese, was remanded on continuing bail by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for sentence on April 27th.

Judge Cyril Kelly ordered the preparation of victim impact statements for the sentence hearing.

Payne pleaded guilty to eight charges of indecent assault on dates from 1968 to 1987. Two of the offences were committed in Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin during the late 1960s. The other six charges relate to locations in Drimnagh, Glasnevin and Sutton. Some of the victims were altar boys.

On Monday, Payne pleaded guilty to a "holding count" of indecently assaulting a boy, under the age of 15, on an unknown date between April and October 1977. The priest has, in the past, worked with couples seeking church annulments of their marriages.