A man (62) has been jailed for 15 years for sexually abusing eight girls over a ten year period.
Billy O’Brien from Curraghglass, Fermoy Co Cork pleaded guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today to a total of 46 counts of sexual assault on the girls between 1992 and 2001 mainly at his home in Curraghglass.
O’Brien admitted 17 counts of sexual assault in relation to one girl, ten each in relation to another two, four counts in relation to another girl, two counts in relation to another girl and then single counts in relation to another three girls.
Det Sgt Sean Leahy said all but two of the assaults happened at O’Brien’s home where he lived alone and where he set up a play station and “a shop” with sweets which he used to entice the girls over so that he could abuse them.
Det Sgt Leahy said the girls ranged in age from just six to ten years of age when they were abused but O’Brien admitted to gardaí that he lost interest in them as they got older and he began targetting younger girls to abuse.
Judge Patrick Moran sentenced O'Brien to 15 years in jail with the final three years suspended on condition that he would never again return to Curraglass.
