A man forced schoolgirls to compare each other's sexual performance while he abused them, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has been told.
The defendant pleaded guilty to 17 sample counts of sexual abuse on six girls at his home and in a Dublin city-centre hotel. The guilty plea came only minutes before his trial was due to begin.
The girls, all aged between 12 and 15, were enticed to the man's house, where they were routinely forced to watch as he abused one of his other victims. Two of the girls were asked to rate the sexual performance of other girls and three were forced to do handstands while being sexually abused.
All six girls came from the same suburb of Dublin and some attended the same school.
The man pleaded guilty to 13 counts of sexual assault, two of carnal knowledge and one of attempted carnal knowledge committed between mid-1992 and early 1996 at his home. He also pleaded guilty to one count of carnal knowledge at a hotel.
Judge Kieran O'Connor told the jury that they should not be critical of the defendant's decision to change his plea, as that was the right of anyone who came before the courts.
On a request from prosecution counsel Ms Mary Ellen-Ring, the judge agreed to adjourn sentencing until May 17th so that victim impact reports can be prepared.
The defendant was released on a court bond, with a provision that he does not apply for a passport, reports to a Garda station daily and does not have any communication with his victims or their families.