A 36-year-old US citizen who raped his son in the presence of a neighbouring girl has been jailed for five years by Mr Justice Carney at the Central Criminal Court.
The case came to light when the man told a teacher what he had done and told him also of having seen his eight-year-old son and a neighbouring girl of similar age having sex.
The teacher contacted the social services, who then contacted the Garda.
Mr Justice Carney described the evidence in the case as "disgusting and sickening to hear".
The man came forward with signed pleas of guilty to raping the boy on dates in April 2000 in a Co Mayo town and to sexually assaulting the girl on one of those occasions.
Mr Justice Carney unconditionally suspended the final 18 months of the sentence because the defendant had signed guilty pleas which freed up a trial slot in the court. He also took into consideration the man's health problems, the fact that his son bore no hostility and wanted to remain in contact, and what he called the fair evidence of the defendant's wife, who said he had been a good father otherwise to his child.
Garda evidence was that the man made a full admission of his offending and wanted to sign the statement, but did not do so on the advice of his solicitor, who was present while it was read over to him. The defendant agreed that the statement was correct.
Mr Donagh MacDonagh SC, defending, said that his client had been sexualised from five years of age by one of his brothers and recalled that such sexual activity was routine among his own peer group.
Mr MacDonagh noted that the defendant did not assault the young girl, although he had opportunities to do so. There was nothing to indicate that he was a danger to other children.
Counsel criticised one medical report, which he described as very damning to his client, but said this was based on a 15minute interview and without any psychological test being carried out.
Mr MacDonagh added that the man's son had written letters to him forgiving him for what he done. The man had indicated from the outset that he did not want any further trauma in the case for either child and had signed guilty pleas to the charges.