Five years in prison for asking 13-year-old boy for sex

A FORMER eucharistic minister who offered €50 to a 13-year-old boy for sex has been sentenced to five years in jail.

Thomas Folliard, 63, has shown no remorse, continues to deny and accepts no responsibility for his predatory behaviour, a circuit court judge said yesterday.

At Folliard’s trial earlier this year, evidence was given by the victim that the accused followed him from an urban shopping centre and propositioned him on a nearby street.

With the cash in his hand, Folliard first asked his victim, who cannot be named, if he wanted to make some money. He then offered him €50 for sex, Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court was told.

When the boy refused and began to move away, Folliard told him he was ‘a lovely lad’, the court heard.

In a victim impact statement, the boy said he had to get lifts home from school for some time after the incident as he was in fear. He also stopped engaging in sport and would cross the road if he saw anybody ‘suspicious’ approaching.

Folliard was charged under section three of the Child Pornography and Trafficking Act 1998.

The man, of Church Road, Aughamore, Ballyhaunis, Co. Mayo, was found guilty by a jury of propositioning the boy in January 2016.

When Folliard appeared for sentencing yesterday, Judge Rory MacCabe described the offence as ‘grave’ and ‘despicable.’ He sentenced Folliard to five years in prison.

Brendan McDonagh, defending, said Folliard had an unblemished record and was kind and helpful to elderly people in the community. He said that when the allegation was first made against Folliard, the accused had told his parish priest and stepped down from being a eucharistic minister. Mr McDonagh said Folliard was not suitable for community service due to ill heath.

Judge MacCabe said there was evidence of premeditation as Folliard had followed his victim.

He said Folliard was ‘relatively old’ but the absence of remorse gave him some concern as to risks he might pose in future.

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