A Catholic priest admitted yesterday to indecently assaulting a boy aged under 15 in Dublin during the 1970s. Ivan Payne (54) has formerly been involved in counselling couples seeking church annulments of their marriages.
The priest, with an address care of the Archdiocese of Dublin, pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting a boy under the age of 15, on a date unknown between April and October 1977.
The victim, now aged 33, was present at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for the short hearing. Judge Cyril Kelly requested the preparation of a victim impact report and remanded the priest on continuing bail to Friday.
The defendant was expected to stand trial yesterday but his guilty plea made a trial unnecessary.
Mr Fergal Foley BL, prosecuting, said the charge was a holding count and it was accepted without prejudice to a number of outstanding charges that the defendant faced.
The priest's counsel, Mr Michael McDowell SC, said his client would also be taking "a certain course" in relation to other charges on Friday.
Ivan Payne, who has been remanded on continuing bail after admitting a charge of sexually assaulting a boy in the 1970s