A Co Kilkenny man has been found guilty of raping and sexually assaulting his next-door neighbour from the time she made her First Holy Communion until she was 13.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court took over three hours to convict the 44-year-old man of 14 charges of rape and indecent and sexual assault from 1982 to 1991.
The jury reached its verdict by majority decisions of 10-1 after a five-day trial.
Mr Justice O'Neill remanded the accused man on continuing bail for sentence on January 21st, 2000.