A teenage girl who was sexually assaulted by a man after she had been invited for two sleepovers has told a court that her “innocence and childhood were taken away” by her abuser. Passing sentence on Thursday, Judge Karen O’Connor suspended the final six months on condition that the man be subject to supervision by the Probation Service. Part of the evidence against the man during the trial were Facebook messages encouraging her to come for a sleepover. The court heard that the man sexually assaulted the child three times over the course of a week, calling her into a room while others were present in the house, before touching her private parts. She noted the man will be registered as a sex offender and will be subject to post-release supervision.

Source: The Irish Times July 18, 2019 16:18 UTC