BY OLIVIA KELLEHER
A WOMAN who groomed a 14-year-old boy, leading him to have sex with her two years later, after she ‘relentlessly pursued’ him, has been jailed for a year.
Pamela Lonergan of Treanmanagh, Glenbeigh, Co Kerry previously pleaded guilty to four counts of defilement of a child under the age of 17. The offences occurred at locations in Kerry and Cork, including West Cork, in 2008 and 2009.
Ms Lonergan was 26 when she first started initiating contact with the minor, having met him in a social setting.
Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that when the victim first met Ms Lonergan, who is now 43, the relationship was ‘platonic’ but ‘intense’. Det Sgt Kevin Long said that Lonergan and the youth initially talked about matters they were both interested in, such as literature.
The court head that the boy was often texted by Ms Lonergan when he was in school, leading him to become tired in class. She frequently texted and called him. Ms Lonergan bombarded him with attention and then withdrew it, building up his dependence on her.
Dt Sgt Long said that Ms Lonergan was fully aware the boy was a minor was when she groomed him. The boy was a virgin when they had sex, when he was 16. The defilement continued from that point.
Sexual relations only concluded when the man was 18 and moved to another continent for a fresh start.
Ms Lonergan told her religious congregation, The Jehovah’s Witnesses, of what had occurred, and she expressed remorse for her behaviour. She also apologised to the victim. The expressions of contrition took place before there was ever a complaint made to gardaí by the injured party.
The man reported the matter to gardaí when he was in his late 20s. Ms Lonergan was subsequently arrested for questioning about the suspected defilement of a child. She pleaded guilty to all four charges.
In his victim impact statement, the man said he first met Ms Lonergan at a social gathering when he was 14. They didn’t have much of a conversation, and he only knew of her in passing. He was aware she worked in childcare and was also employed as a window cleaner. Ms Lonergan became more present in his life when there was upheaval in his family home.
‘She entered my life as my family home was being torn apart. I was extremely vulnerable and lonely, and even though Pamela’s messages felt unusual, the attention was appealing.’
He said Ms Lonergan engaged in toxic ‘hot and cold’ behaviour. ‘This hot/cold communication and aggression was a pattern that continued in the coming years and created great emotional instability for me,’ he said in his statement.
‘I felt shame when I tried to contact her and was met with aggression and judgement. This giving and removing of intense attention created an extreme dependence.’
The victim said that phone calls between the pair often went on for hours and left him exhausted and unable to focus in school.
‘We started calling on the phone sometimes from 8pm to 6am. I missed school days because of my sleep deprivation. Feelings of depression and anxiety increased.’ He said when things turned sexual when he was 16, he was made to feel responsible and guilty for it.
The teenager had hoped to go to university but the abusive relationship took its toll and he finished school at 16. When he moved to another continent for a fresh start, Lonergan arrived there to be with him, leading him back ‘in this caustic environment’. He said his heart sank when he saw Ms Lonergan arriving at the airport.
He said when he was 20 he ‘mustered enough courage’ to break ties with her. However, he was left scarred by his experiences and became addicted to alcohol and porn. He eventually sought help and subsequently reported the matter to gardaí.
He expressed his appreciation for the support of his wife and therapist. ‘I have come to realise this was a betrayal of my trust at my most vulnerable and it isn’t my fault. I am using this experience as fuel for positive change. So Pam you can keep the abuse, the shame, the guilt – it is not mine,’ he added.
The man thanked gardaí and Support after Crime for their assistance with his case. Defence barrister Emmet Boyle said his client accepted her responsibility for what had occurred and made this clear to her Jehovah’s Witnesses community. Mr Boyle said that Lonergan also apologised to the injured party.
Judge Colin Daly took into account the aggravating factors involved abuse being carried out over a sustained period of time, the fact that she groomed the victim, and the significant age disparity. He jailed Ms Lonergan for a year.
