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. 15467Rape and sexual assault · Co. Cork

Man jailed for 17.5 years for rape and sexual abuse of his four daughters

A man in his 40s (described as late forties in one report) was jailed for 17 and a half years for the rape and sexual assault of his four daughters, with offences between 2005 and 2021 at locations including the family home, when the girls were children as young as seven and nine. Tusla became involved in 2012 after one daughter made a complaint, which the court was told she later withdrew under pressure from her father, and a garda investigation began in April 2021 after a further complaint. The man was arrested in January 2022, denied all wrongdoing, and was charged with 128 counts. In November 2024 he was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, after pleading guilty to sample counts on the indictment, to 17.5 years in prison, backdated to when he first entered custody.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced15 Nov
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • A man in his late forties, described as in his 40s in other reports, was jailed for 17 and a half years for the rape and sexual assault of his four daughters.
  • Most offences were sexual assaults, and others included rape, oral rape and attempted rape.
Where
The abuse took place in the daughters' bedrooms, at the man's workplace, at the home of the girls' grandfather and great grandparents, and at the family home.
When
The offences occurred between 2005 and 2021, when the daughters were children as young as seven and nine.
Other details
  • Tusla became involved in 2012 after a 14-year-old daughter confirmed details of the abuse, and the court was told she later withdrew her complaint after being forced to do so.
  • The court was told the man threatened to harm himself after being asked to move out of the home, causing great upset within the family.
  • The man cannot be identified to protect the anonymity of the victims.
Investigation
  • A complaint was made to gardaí, and a garda investigation began in April 2021, with Tusla referring the abuse to gardaí that year and a Protective Services Unit in Co Cork investigating.
  • The man was arrested in January 2022 and denied all wrongdoing.
Charges
The man was charged with 128 counts of sexual assault, attempted rape, rape and attempted sexual assault.
In court
  • The man indicated he would plead guilty on a full facts basis to all 128 counts, and later pleaded guilty to sample counts on the indictment.
  • The judge described the man's position over the children and his abuse of a dominant position in the family over a long period as aggravating factors, and treated the guilty plea as the most significant mitigating factor because it spared the daughters a three-week trial.
Sentence
In November 2024 the Central Criminal Court in Cork sentenced the man to 17.5 years in prison, with concurrent sentences backdated to when he first entered custody.
26 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatA man in his late forties was jailed for 17.5 years for the rape and sexual assault of his four daughters. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatA man in his 40s was jailed for 17 and a half years for the rape and sexual assault of four of his daughters. (rte.ie)
  • whatMost offences were sexual assaults, and others included rape, oral rape and attempted rape. (rte.ie)
  • whereThe daughters were abused in their bedrooms, at his workplace, and at the home of their grandfather and great grandparents. (thejournal.ie)
  • whereThe abuse occurred at a number of locations, including the family home. (rte.ie)
  • whenThe man started sexually abusing his children in 2005. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe abuse continued until 2021, when the offences came to light and a garda investigation was launched. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe offences occurred between 2005 and 2021, when the daughters were children as young as seven and nine. (rte.ie)
  • investigationA garda investigation began in April 2021 after a complaint was made to gardaí. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationThe man denied all wrongdoing when he was arrested in January 2022. (thejournal.ie)
  • investigationTusla referred the abuse to gardaí in 2021, and a Protective Services Unit in Co Cork investigated. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe man was charged with 128 counts of sexual assault, attempted rape, rape and attempted sexual assault. (thejournal.ie)
  • chargeThe man was arrested, questioned and charged. (rte.ie)
  • chargeThe man indicated he would plead guilty on a full facts basis, accepting the case against him for all 128 counts. (rte.ie)
  • courtThe man later pleaded guilty to sample counts. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe judge described the man's position over the children as an aggravating factor. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe judge took the guilty plea into account in mitigation because it spared the daughters a three-week trial. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe sentence was imposed at the Central Criminal Court in Cork after the man pleaded guilty to sample counts on an indictment of 128 charges. (rte.ie)
  • sentenceThe man was sentenced to 17.5 years in prison, backdated to when he first entered custody. (thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceThe sentences run concurrently, totalling 17 and a half years. (rte.ie)
  • otherTusla became involved in 2012 after his 14-year-old daughter made a complaint. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe father put the daughter under duress to withdraw the complaint. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the man abused his dominant position within the family over a long period. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the impact on the four children was the most serious aggravating factor. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe judge said the guilty plea was the most significant mitigating factor. (rte.ie)
  • otherThe man cannot be identified to protect the victims' anonymity. (rte.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 15 Nov2024
    Sentencedrte.ie, follow-up
    Man jailed for over 17 years for rape of four daughters

    Reports the sentencing of a man who pleaded guilty on a full facts basis to 128 counts, including rape, oral rape, attempted rape and sexual assault, against four of his daughters; the sentence totals 17 and a half years.

    convicted, 40s, malevictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, femalevictim, female
  2. 15 Nov2024
    Sentencedthejournal.ie, first report
    Man jailed for over 17 years for rape and sexual abuse of his four daughters

    No matching existing case. Reports the sentencing of a man convicted at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, with the abuse spanning 2005 to 2021.

    convicted, late forties, malevictim, female