Man jailed for sexually assaulting his young daughter

A child who was molested by her father misses having her father there for her, a court has heard.

The Dublin man (44), who cannot be named to protect the victim's identity, was convicted by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of sexually assaulting the child on a date between November 2005 and November 2007.

He had denied the charge. The victim is 11 years old now and was aged between two and four years at the time of the abuse.

The court heard that the victim impact report details the loss suffered by the child at losing her father. She has had to tell friends that her father died.

Judge Catherine Murphy said there has been no real remorse expressed by the man other than he regrets very much his loss of relationship with the child.

She suspended the last year of a four-year prison sentence on condition he continued to engage with a programme that works with male sex offenders.

The court heard the man had obtained access through the courts to his daughter. On the occasion of the assault he took down her trousers and touched her private parts.

Patrick Gageby SC, defending, said a psychologist’s report for his client demonstrated the great sense of loss felt by him at losing his daughter because of his actions. “He has lost the closest bond he has had with any other human being.” Counsel said the man is an extremely lonely and isolated individual.

Judge Murphy accepted that the man cared for the child but noted he had allowed her to go through the very stressful ordeal of giving evidence in a criminal trial. “This is a very sad and tragic case,” she said.

The man has no previous convictions. Judge Murphy said there might be some possibility of rebuilding some aspect of the relationship between the victim and her father in the future.