A man has been jailed for 10 years for the oral rape and sexual assault of his niece.
The 43-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to 23 sample charges dealing with offences he committed from 1991 to 1998 in Co Waterford. The victim was aged eight to 15 years.
Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court directed that the man be registered as a sex offender. In imposing the penalty he took account of the breach of trust involved, the age of the victim, the disparity in their ages as well as the effect the crimes.
He imposed terms of 10 years each on the rape counts with five years for the sex assault offences and refused leave to appeal severity of sentence. All the sentences are to run concurrently.
Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said his client had progressed well in his profession but was now a disgraced person in his home town.
Mr Gageby said the man admitted to close family members he had acted wrongly. He had pleaded guilty and was very remorseful for his offending, which had destroyed their families.
Garda Joyce Donoghue told Isobel Kennedy SC, prosecuting, that the victim made two statements of complaint to the gardaí.
She told how her uncle would collect her by car at least once a week when she was eight and bring her to a place with sheds where he would kiss her, but she wouldn't kiss him back.
Garda Donoghue recounted graphic details given by the victim of oral sex activity by her uncle on her and by her on him. After these incidents he would continue as if nothing had happened.
She said the woman told gardaí that her uncle tried full sexual intercourse but could not conclude it. He never wore condoms.
The victim said that when she babysat for him and his wife, he would get into her bed and sexually assault her. She told of sexual assaults in his office after he would tie her hands together and around her eyes.
She recalled an occasion when her father returned to the house while her uncle was abusing her and in a panic he told her to say she was showing him something on her computer. Garda Donoghue said the father remembered a time when he met the uncle coming downstairs and he gave that explanation for his presence.
When the story of his sex offending broke in family circles, he sent his niece a text message telling her he was sorry and hoping she would have it in her heart to forgive him.