Wednesday 28 October 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 4652Sexual assault of a child · Co. Mayo

Ballet teacher jailed for sexually abusing two girls at dance school

Leighton Morrison, a ballet teacher who ran dance schools in Mayo and Galway, was sentenced at Castlebar Circuit Court to eight years in prison with the final year suspended for sexually assaulting two girls aged eight and nine and recording the abuse. He had pleaded guilty to six sample charges from 13 offences.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced7 Nov
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
13 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA ballet teacher recorded himself sexually assaulting two girls in a costume storage room. (irishtimes.com)
  • whereMorrison was sentenced at Castlebar Circuit Court. (irishtimes.com)
  • whenThe offences were committed between January 2023 and June 2024. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationThe abuse came to light in March 2024 after the nine-year-old's father noticed a change in her behaviour after ballet class. (irishtimes.com)
  • investigationGardaí found more than 1,000 images depicting child sexual activity or exposure on a device seized from Morrison's home. (irishtimes.com)
  • chargeThe charges include two counts of sexual assault against an eight-year-old girl and a nine-year-old girl, exploitation of a child, and possession and production of child sexual abuse material. (irishtimes.com)
  • courtMorrison pleaded guilty to six sample charges from 13 offences. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMorrison was sentenced to eight years in prison with the final year suspended. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceA probation report found Morrison at high risk of reoffending and said he must never have unsupervised access to children again. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceMorrison's sentence was backdated to July 2, 2024, and he has been in custody since then. (irishtimes.com)
  • sentenceAfter release Morrison must undergo a year of probation supervision, counselling and a sex offenders' programme. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMorrison ran three dance schools across counties Mayo and Galway. (irishtimes.com)
  • otherMorrison has no previous convictions. (irishtimes.com)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 7 Nov2025
    Sentencedirishtimes.com, first report
    Ballet teacher who sexually abused young girls is jailed for seven years

    Sentencing report for Leighton Morrison at Castlebar Circuit Court; no existing case matches this individual or court case.

    convicted, Leighton Morrison, 49, named, non-irish (judged from name)Leighton Morrisonvictim, 8, femalevictim, 9, female