A Belfast man who "groomed" three young Co Louth girls for sex and made them take polaroid pictures of themselves in sexual acts with him has been given four life sentences at the Central Criminal Court.
John Adams (62), with a last known address at Dunvale, Ballymena, Co Antrim, pleaded guilty to four counts of unlawful carnal knowledge and two counts of sexual abuse over three years between 1991 and 1993 in the Co Louth town.
Mr Justice Paul Carney said that in his view some of the pictures that the 62-year-old man had made the girls take were similar to "the worst that would be found in any hardcore magazine".
He made an order that the name of the town was not to be reported in the media.
Adams, who had a previous conviction for child stealing in Belfast, was apprehended by members of the RUC in February 1997 when they found large numbers of pictures of himself in sexual activity with young girls hidden in his home.
Detective Garda Michael O'Driscoll told prosecuting counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC, the girls involved were about six, eight and 10 years of age at the time.
Det Gda O'Driscoll told Mr Justice Carney that at no point during the investigation had Adams shown any remorse.
One of Adams' victim, now aged in her early twenties, told the Court: "This man ruined all our lives. He took away our innocence and it is going to be in our heads always. It can never be taken away".