A Donegal man described in the Central Criminal Court as having a low IQ will be sentenced on November 3rd for sexually abusing three of his young female cousins from 1982 to 1995.
Mr Justice Flood told the 36year-old man that he did not want anybody to take it that he was considering a non-custodial sentence for what was a serious case.
The court was told the defendant had an IQ level just one point above the cut-off point for mental handicap.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting one of the victims when she was aged seven, on an unknown date between July 10th, 1986, and July 9th, 1988.
Prosecution counsel, Mr Michael McDowell SC, said that the guilty plea had been accepted on the basis that the abuse of the three girls was admitted by the defence. The three victims were in court for the hearing.
Defence counsel, Mr Gregory Murphy SC, said the defendant was admitting his responsibility, and the girls had nothing of which to be ashamed.
Mr Murphy read from one of the victims' statements in which she said two adults were present in a kitchen when the defendant touched her intimately while playing with her. Counsel also read a portion of his client's statement in which he described the manner in which he touched girls sexually.