A PAEDOPHILE who wants "a comfortable sexual relationship with a male child" has been jailed for seven years by the Central Criminal Court for kidnapping and sexually assaulting a young boy.
Kenneth Lynch (21), Creewood, Slane, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to putting his 10 year old victim through an eight hour ordeal of kidnap and sexual assault on June 28th, 1995.
Mr Justice Carney noted that Lynch acknowledged in both medical and probation reports that he was a homosexual paedophile who continued to watch and desire young children.
His doctors have warned the likelihood of Lynch reoffending was "very great" as he "continues to harbour unnatural desires towards male children despite psychiatric intervention more than one year", the judge said.
The court had been told Lynch had been driving in Co Meath "looking for a boy, any boy, for the purpose of perpetrating violent paedophiliac acts on". The boy had cycled to a shop to get sweets. Lynch forced him into his car at knife point and used the boy's T shirt as a blindfold.
He drove first to Dunleer, Co Louth, and sexually assaulted the boy in a field before driving to Belfast International Airport and then back to Co Meath where he released the boy at the original kidnap point.
Four days later, Lynch telephoned Garda Catherine Cronin to admit what had happened. He said he was afraid the boy might not have revealed all the facts and as a result could miss being counselled.
Det Sgt Martin Noone said Lynch also admitted he needed help to prevent him from kidnapping another boy. Garda Cronin arranged to meet him at Fair Green in Navan, Co Meath, and arrested him.
Mr Justice Carney said the reports showed Lynch's paedophiliac tendencies, but he had no previous convictions. He also noted that Mr Joseph Mathews SC, prosecuting, had accepted Lynch had an "obsessive compulsive tendency towards violent paedophiliac acts".
Mr Justice Carney said doctors described the boy as having suffered "acute traumatic events" and both he and his family had suffered intense emotional pain.
The child had expressed fears for himself and his friends in the event of his attacker remaining in the neighbourhood or returning to do the same. It took 10 counselling sessions for him to accept he was not to blame for the assault and he understood the correct place for Lynch was jail.
Reports revealed he was finding it difficult to associate with other boys at school and his ordeal was likely to affect him adversely at puberty and in future sexual relationships. Reports showed he would need ongoing counselling, especially about his own sexual development, the judge said.
In his statement to gardai, Lynch recounted how he drove the boy to the field and carried out the sexual assaults. He said at one stage when he got angry, he threatened to kill the boy and he put the knife to his neck and into his mouth. The victim pleaded for his life and they got into the car again. Lynch also suggested he might kill himself.
On the way from the airport, Lynch stopped for petrol and bought sweets which he shared with his victim. He said he felt terrible about the incident and rang the Samaritans before ringing the Garda.
Det Sgt Noone agreed with Mr Barry White SC, defending, that Lynch had not come under Garda notice before and that he came from a respectable family.
Mr White said the treatment his client began receiving immediately this matter came to light was not available within the custodial regime.