MAN EXPOSED HIMSELF TO GIRL (7) IN ‘DESPICABLE ACT’

A 26-YEAR- OLD man who exposed himself to his then seven-year-old female cousin appeared before the District Court sitting in Gorey.

Details of what the child’s father called a ‘despicable act’ were given to the court by investigating Garda Aisling Daly.

A birthday party provided the cover for the sexual assault in April of last year.

The injured party went into the defendant’s bedroom on the evening in question where the man asked to see her private parts.

The defendant then exposed himself and asked the girl to touch his private parts, but she said no.

The garda accepted that no touching was involved in the incident.

The father read out a statement in which he blamed what happened in the bedroom for his daughter’s change from someone who was for- ever singing to being generally quiet.

Now aged nine, she was no longer fun and boisterous as she was before the ‘dark day’ of the party.

Instead she was troubled at times and prone to nightmares, getting emotional and upset.

The victim impact statement offered hope that the girl will bounce back after her psychological trauma given the support of her family.

Appearing for the unemployed defendant, solicitor Lana Doherty said her client had been attending a psychologist.

The matter was adjourned to January 5 to allow preparation of a psychological report.

In the meantime, as a condition of bail, the offender was ordered not to enter any place where the injured party, her siblings or her parents were present.