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. 1286Oral rape, indecent assault · Co. Dublin · 1 Jan 1990

Man from Jersey jailed for four years for sexually abusing three-year-old cousin in Clondalkin

Darren Dowling, 48, of Jersey, UK, was sentenced to four years in prison (five years with the final 12 months suspended) at the Central Criminal Court for eight counts of oral rape and three counts of indecent assault of his cousin Alan Murphy, aged three to six, at a Clondalkin address between 1990 and 1993. Dowling, who was aged 13 to 16 at the time, was found guilty by a jury in July 2025 after a trial in July 2024.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced18 Jul
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
20 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatDowling was found guilty of eight counts of oral rape and three counts of indecent assault (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe victim was Dowling's cousin Alan Murphy, aged between three and six at the time (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatDowling was aged between 13 and 16 at the time of the offending (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatDowling was Mr Murphy's older cousin and would babysit him and his brother (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe offending involved bringing Mr Murphy upstairs to the bathroom and placing his penis into Mr Murphy's mouth (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatThe door would be closed and the offending would last between 10 and 15 minutes (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatMr Murphy's mother said Dowling began babysitting her sons around the time of Italia 1990 (dublinlive.ie)
  • whatMr Murphy disclosed the abuse to his mother when he was 15 years old (dublinlive.ie)
  • whereThe offending took place at a Clondalkin address (dublinlive.ie)
  • whenThe offending occurred between 1990 and 1993 (dublinlive.ie)
  • chargeThe DPP placed the offences in the 10-15 year band (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtThe trial took place at the Central Criminal Court in July 2024 (dublinlive.ie)
  • courtA jury found Dowling guilty of 11 counts on 12 July 2025 (dublinlive.ie)
  • sentenceThe headline sentence was 13 years for the oral rapes and eight years for the sexual assault (dublinlive.ie)
  • sentenceSentences were reduced to six and a half years and four years because Dowling was a juvenile at the time (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherDowling has three previous convictions, all from Jersey in the UK (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe case was adjourned for a Supreme Court hearing on naming of juvenile accused persons when they reach adulthood (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe maximum sentence for section 4 rape is life in prison and 10 years for each indecent assault count (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherDowling met with gardai in Jersey voluntarily and did not contest his extradition (dublinlive.ie)
  • otherThe defence noted there was no use of violence except the act itself and no threat was made (dublinlive.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 18 Jul2025
    Sentenceddublinlive.ie, first report
    Man who sexually abused three-year-old cousin can now be named

    First report of the case, made possible after a Supreme Court ruling on naming of juvenile accused persons when they reach adulthood. Dowling was a juvenile at the time of offending and received concurrent sentences of five years (12 months suspended) and three years. He was extradited from Jersey, UK, where he had three previous convictions.

    victim, Alan Murphy, male, irish (judged from name)Alan Murphyconvicted, Darren Dowling, 48, male, named, non-irish (judged from name)Darren Dowling