A WESTMEATH man and former Irish soldier who raped a 12-year- old girl twice a week for four years has been jailed for 10 years by Mr Justice Paul Carney.
Thomas Cunningham (42), Cosgrove’s Flats, Dominick Street, Mullingar, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to nine sample charges of raping the girl between May 1st, 2002, and June 31st, 2006.
Cunningham also sent text messages to the girl calling her “his lover” and asking her “to make love to me”.
The incidents came to light when the child’s brother walked in on Cunningham having sex with the girl. He did not tell anyone at the time, but told their mother two years later when he discovered them a second time.
The girl had told gardaí that she wanted the man’s name to be published but asked that her identity be protected.
She stated in a victim impact report that she “had been a happy and contented child” and recounted the first time she was raped.
She said she remembered “hoping for a miracle” that it would stop and feeling “disgusting” afterwards.
She said that at the time she didn’t understand what sex was or what was happening to her. She said that Cunningham would buy her gifts and jewellery but she would throw them away.
The sexual abuse still troubled her on a daily basis and she could not be left alone and never socialised. She suffered from panic attacks and had no confidence.
“He has destroyed everything in my life. My life has been messed up,” she stated.
Mr Justice Carney declared Cunningham a sex offender and directed that he undergo eight years post-release supervision upon his release from custody.
He described the offences as “outrageous” and said they represented “a breach of trust”. He also took into account the effect Cunningham’s crimes had on the victim.
Mr Justice Carney said he had also take into consideration Cunningham’s lack of previous convictions, his co-operation with the investigation, his plea of guilty, his expression of “genuine remorse”, his work history and a report from the Granada Institute which concluded that he was at a low risk of reoffending.
Det Garda Michael Burke told Vincent Heneghan, prosecuting, that Cunningham would rape the girl when her mother was away.
He also sent notes to the school, purporting to be the girl’s mother, stating that she needed to be let home early to attend medical appointments. He would then collect her and rape her.
Det Garda Burke said that Cunningham made voluntary statements to gardaí and admitted that all the girl’s allegations were true. He had no previous convictions.
Det Garda Burke agreed with Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha, defending, that Cunningham had served 21 years in the Army but had since retired.
He accepted that “financial arrangements” had been put in place by Cunningham to pay 70 per cent of his pension every month to the girl for five years as “an expression of his remorse”.
Mr Ó Lideadha said his client had taken responsibility for his actions.