A Co Kilkenny man has been jailed for eight years for raping a girl who lived next door to him until she was 13 years old.
Mr Justice Iarfhlaith O'Neill told the man he had engaged in depravity and brutality of the worst kind by his furtive and secret manipulation of the girl.
The 45-year-old father of three was convicted by a jury in the Central Criminal Court in November on six charges of rape and seven of indecent and sexual assault on the girl on dates from 1982 to 1991.
Mr Justice O'Neill imposed six terms of eight years each on the rape charges, three years each on the six sexual assault charges committed up to 1987, and five years on the 1991 charge. All the sentences are to run concurrently. Leave to appeal was refused.