Leap man (53) admits sex assault on child

A 53–YEAR-old West Cork man has confessed to sexually assaulting a child when she was under the age of 17, two years ago.

The victim of the sexual assaults said through prosecution barrister Siobhán Lankford that she wanted her own anonymity maintained, but she had no objection to the accused being identified.

Defendant Ray O’Driscoll of Ballyhilloe, Leap, was arraigned on three charges this week at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He pleaded guilty to each count.

All charges related to dates between July and September 2015.

The first count stated that he performed a sexual assault on the child. The second count was for a similar offence. The third charge was of defilement of a child where he had sexual intercourse with the child.

Ms Lankford BL said she required a victim impact statement to be prepared in advance of sentencing.

The defendant’s barrister Tom Creed said: ‘I think it would be appropriate for a psychologist’s report.’

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin noted that it was more than two years since the dates of the offences and asked if Ray O’Driscoll had attended a psychologist since that time. Mr Creed SC said the defendant had not attended one.

The judge said he would not direct a psychologist’s report.

Instead the judge said he would remand the accused in custody for a month for a probation report.

Mr Creed SC said he was not seeking a probation report and applied to have the accused remanded on bail for sentencing, stating that he had been on stringent bail conditions and had adhered to those.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said: ‘The nature of the case merits a custodial sentence.’

The judge remanded O’Driscoll in custody for sentencing on December 15th.

So far no background facts have been given in the case. An outline of the background will be given by the investigating garda at next month’s court hearing.