Dad-of-3 avoids jail after exposing himself to girl
A BUSINESSMAN has avoided prison after exposing his genitals to a young girl and asking her: “Do you want to sleep with them?”
Logistics company manager Steven Russell also asked the young girl “Do you love them?” after he called her over to his car, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday.
The 47-year-old, of Cooper Hill, Julianstown, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to exposing his genitals intending to cause fear, distress or alarm to another person on September 8, 2020, in Balbriggan, Co Dublin.
He has no previous convictions. Judge Martin Nolan imposed a one-year prison sentence which he suspended and ordered Russell to pay the child’s parents €5,000 to help with her counselling and therapy.
Judge Nolan told him: “It’s an obnoxious sort of crime, fills most humans with revulsion.”
Detective Garda Colin Fitzpatrick of Balbriggan Garda station told prosecuting counsel Fionnuala O’sullivan, BL, the 10-year-old girl was walking to her friend’s house before school.
When she arrived she was in shock and tears and told her pal’s mother “something happened”.
Gardai and the child’s mother were called and when they arrived she was “extremely anxious”. The girl was referred to a Specialist Victim
Interviewer, the court heard. During the interview, the girl said a man in a blue/ grey jeep had his window open and called her saying “come here”.
He asked her: “Do you want to sleep with them? Do you love them?” She said when she looked down he “had his thing out” which referred to his penis.
She demonstrated Russell was moving his hand up and down his penis, the court heard, and she ran away.
CCTV showed Russell’s Land Rover Discovery stopping on a street in Balbriggan and the interaction between him and the child. The girl is seen running away shortly afterwards.
Det Gda Fitzpatrick said the Land Rover’s registration was identified and two days later when gardai attended his home, Russell confirmed it was his jeep.
He was arrested and interviewed on two occasions. He denied the offence and “did not accept any interaction with the girl”, the court heard.
Three different trial dates were listed as he was contesting the charge of a more serious offence but then he pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
Defence barrister Dominic Mcginn, BL, said Russell had a “solid work background”, “is of good character” and is a “family man” who is 20 years married with three children.
He explained that on the first trial date Russell was involved in a collision as the vehicle he was driving “was driven into a tree” and he was hospitalised with serious injuries.