A Limerick teacher has been jailed for 30 months for sexually assaulting two Co Laois girls in whose home he was a guest.
The 57-year-old man was convicted by a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court jury after a five-day trial last July. The victims gave their evidence by video-link.
Judge Yvonne Murphy said she was primarily concerned with the effect the crimes had on the victims. She noted from reports prepared some time ago that one of the victims asked why she had to be assaulted and her sister refused to stay overnight anywhere but at home.
Judge Murphy added the man's name to the sexual offenders' register and directed that he undergo one year's post-release supervision and abide by all directions imposed in that time. He faced further penalties if he failed to abide by these conditions.
Mr Vincent Heneghan, prosecuting, told the court that the victims' family didn't want the convict named as it would lead to identification of their children.
The jury took just five hours to find him guilty by 11-1 and 10-2 majority verdicts on 10 charges relating to one girl, and unanimously on one charge relating to her sister. Both victims were attending primary school at the time and were aged from seven to nine years.
Most of the offences occurred while he was in the victims' home and one of them happened in his own home, on dates from 1997 to 2000. The offences involved generally indecent touching of their bodies with his hand and tongue and getting them to touch him indecently.
The jury also heard that after being told by them to stay away from their home, he wrote a letter to them indicating his remorse at causing concern to "a sweet innocent girl", but he denied that this letter was an admission of wrongdoing.
An application by defence counsel, Mr John Phelan SC (with Mr Philip Moloney BL), for leave to appeal conviction was refused by Judge Murphy.