A Co Derry man yesterday admitted sexually abusing his nephew over an eight-year period, starting when the boy was aged six.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was jailed for six years at Derry Crown Court and placed on the sex offenders' register for life.
The 13 charges which he admitted to included six indecent assault offences, six charges of gross indecency with or towards a child, and one charge of inciting his nephew to commit an act of gross indecency.
The assaults took place between November 1st, 1982 and January 1st, 1990. Judge Gemma Loughran was told that the man had three relevant previous convictions, which did not involve family members, dating back to the 1980s.
For two of those charges he was given a conditional discharge and for the third he was jailed for four months, but that sentence was suspended on appeal.
Defence counsel William McCrory told the court that his client, who suffered from several medical problems, now faced a barren future in prison.
He said the only mitigation he had to offer was that in admitting the offences, the defendant had "spared his nephew the agony of giving evidence and the insult of being called a liar".
A prosecution barrister told the court that after abusing his nephew, the defendant would then buy the child sweets.