A music teacher from south Dublin has been jailed for three years for sexually assaulting two young girls who attended music lessons at his home.
The 64-year-old married man, who cannot be named by order of Judge Kieran O'Connor, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three charges of sexually assaulting the girls, then aged eight and nine, on dates in 1994 and 1995. "I quite honestly could have killed this man", one of the victim's fathers told the court.
Det Sgt James Martin told prosecuting counsel Mr George Birmingham the accused would rub the girls' buttocks, vagina and genital area with his hand, touching them both inside and outside their clothing. Gardai searched his house for details of his teaching records but all records for the last 10 to 12 years had been destroyed.
The father of one of the girls had confronted the accused who admitted to what he called "inappropriate behaviour".
This man lodged a complaint with the Garda in February 1997 and the defendant was arrested. He made no statement on legal advice. Both families co-operated with gardai.
One of the children told how the defendant was like a person wearing a mask in that his whole demeanour would change when he assaulted her. She hated going to him as it was an ordeal for her. She had lost her interest in music. The second girl would purposely break her violin so as not to attend classes.
The defendant had no previous convictions. He had been an architect before changing to teaching music. The victims' families and especially the girls were very fearful of meeting the defendant on the street or in shops as they lived nearby.
Det Sgt Martin agreed with defence counsel Mr Michael Mahon SC the defendant had resigned from teaching music.
The father of the first girl told the court how difficult it was at first to tell gardai what had happened as the family had never had any dealings with the law previously. The family believed at first they could handle the matter internally but then realised they owed it to other children who might have been abused to report it.
"She was an open, loving, innocent child who was very easy to get on with and he abused her trust, abused her physically and abused her mentally", the girl's father said. "He managed to get into her head. She is extraordinarily frightened of him. She had to sit on his knee and kiss this man. He is a cold, heartless man who has damaged our family very much", he added.
The father of the second abused girl said the hurt the man caused was "incalculable". His daughter had an absolute fear of the defendant. She had permanent damage and most nights wakes up fearful, continually checking on the doors and alarms in the house.
"He has absolute power over her. She has already bumped into him on a nearby street since being assaulted where he locked his eyes on her and would not let go", the man told Judge O'Connor.
He said she cannot touch the violin and hasn't since the time of the abuse. His daughter has lost the ability to relate to other children and adults and was angered the man had not pleaded guilty to the offences earlier to prevent one-and-a-half years of waiting in pain.
Judge O'Connor said he regarded the offences as very serious and though impressed by character witnesses, he had to impose a jail sentence.
"These were entering stages in their lives when they were to learn about sex and you introduced them to sexuality in a crude and vulgar way. You were in their trust and abused your position", he added.
Judge O'Connor said he would review the sentence on December 3rd, 1999, on condition that the defendant had treatment for his problem while in prison.