Friday 30 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. 14448Defilement of a child · Co. Donegal

Donegal teacher acquitted of defilement of girl

A Donegal school teacher in his 40s, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was accused of a sexual act with a 16-year-old girl on a date the sources do not give. About three months after the alleged incident, a formal complaint was made to gardaí following a conversation with family members. He was charged with defilement of a child under 17 and pleaded not guilty. After a six-day trial before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court, a jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict on 24 February 2025 after just under an hour, so he was acquitted and no sentence was imposed.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Acquitted24 Feb
  6. Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
A Donegal school teacher was accused of engaging in a sexual act with a teenage girl.
Where
The case was tried at Letterkenny Circuit Court in County Donegal.
When
The girl was 16 at the time of the alleged incident, and the sources do not give the incident date.
Investigation
A formal complaint was made to gardaí about three months after the alleged incident, following a conversation with family members.
Charges
  • He was charged with engaging in sexual intercourse with a child under 17 while being a person in authority, and the articles describe the allegation as a sexual act.
  • He pleaded not guilty to defilement of a child under 17.
In court
  • The trial lasted six days before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court.
  • A jury of eight men and four women returned a unanimous not guilty verdict after just under an hour of deliberation on 24 February 2025.
Sentence
He was acquitted, so no sentence was imposed.
Other details
  • He consistently denied the allegations.
  • CCTV footage from the hotel was not available because it had been overwritten after one week.
10 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA Donegal school teacher was accused of engaging in a sexual act with a teenage girl. (donegallive.ie)
  • whenThe girl was 16 at the time of the alleged incident. (donegallive.ie)
  • investigationA formal complaint was made to gardaí about three months after the alleged incident, following a conversation with family members. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeThe accused pleaded not guilty to defilement of a child under 17. (donegallive.ie)
  • chargeHe was charged with engaging in sexual intercourse with a child under 17 while being a person in authority. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe trial lasted six days before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtAfter just under an hour of deliberation, the jury returned a not guilty verdict. (donegallive.ie)
  • courtThe jury's verdict was unanimous and took just under an hour. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherThe man consistently denied the allegations. (donegallive.ie)
  • otherCCTV footage from the hotel was not available because it had been overwritten after one week. (donegallive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 24 Feb2025
    Acquitteddonegallive.ie, first report
    Donegal teacher found not guilty of defilement of girl

    Reports the jury verdict of not guilty after a six-day trial at Letterkenny Circuit Court. The incident date is not given.

    accused, 40s, malevictim, 16, female