A convicted sex offender who befriended “a particularly vulnerable teenager” after falsely claiming to be a youth worker has been jailed for four years for sexual exploitation.
Paul Morris (58) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to sexual exploitation of the then 15-year-old at Morris’s mobile home in Chianti Park, Tallaght, on dates between July 2009 and July 2010.
Morris had originally faced 10 charges of defilement but a plea to sexual exploitation was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
On Wednesday, the now 31-year-old victim in the case read his victim impact statement.
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He said he had gone to social services when he was 17 to report Morris but “nothing was done about it”. He spoke of how both “my own mother and grandmother didn’t want to believe me”.
The man also referred to a counsellor he met in school at that time, who believed him and was a good support to him.
The man described Morris as “pure evil” not just due to the abuse but also how he manipulated him and tried to keep him away from his family.
On Wednesday, Judge Orla Crowe imposed a sentence of five years, suspending the final 12 months on condition he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months upon his release.
The four-year term must be served consecutive to the sentence Morris is currently serving. He had been due for release in 2028.
“He identified a very vulnerable boy and he groomed him and he took advantage of a child who had become a little unstuck and had the misfortune to meet him,” the judge said.
She acknowledged that Morris pleaded guilty, had health problems, had expressed remorse and indicated a willingness to undergo rehabilitative work.
Det Gda Sarah Jane Hoey had told prosecuting barrister Aoife McNickle that the victim had a chaotic upbringing and moved around a lot in Ireland and the UK. He had been sleeping on friend’s couches and sleeping rough before he was introduced to Morris.
At that point the teenager was using drugs and had “gone off the rails”. Morris told him he was a youth worker and the teenager expressed an interest in working as a youth worker himself as an adult. They exchanged numbers and ultimately the teenager ended up moving into the mobile home with Morris.
On a cold night Morris encouraged him to share a bed with him. He woke up to find Morris performing oral sex on him and Morris made him place his hand on the older man’s penis.
The victim later told gardaí that when he woke the following morning he was confused and did not feel right. He said Morris gave him €50.
The teenager lived with Morris for a year, during which time Morris drove him to school, fed him and provided him with hash.
He also told the child that his mother did not love him, that she was not fit to have children and that she chose drugs over him. He continued to pretend to be a youth worker and told the teenager about all the people he had helped.
The victim later told gardaí that similar incidents happened with Morris and estimated that it occurred 20 or 30 times.
The victim ultimately reported Morris to gardaí in November 2023.
