A LIMERICK businessman has been jailed for six years for sexually abusing and defiling the 13-year-old daughter of a man he knew.
After a four day trial last January, Michael Casey, (71) of Cois Roiga, Caherconlish, County Limerick was found guilty of 16 counts of the defilement of a child under the age of 15 and 17 years contrary to the Sexual Offences Act 2006.
Imposing a six year jail sentence at Limerick Circuit Court this Wednesday, Judge Tom O’Donnell said that Casey committed serious offences which were “grooming in nature” and that he acted in a “predatory nature”.
The court heard that the victim, a secondary school student at the time, was befriended by Casey as he knew her father and he would regularly be at her home. She was also alone in his company at various locations in Limerick and Clare.
The victim, who is now aged 20, gave accounts of digital and penile penetration at various locations in Limerick and Clare where the sexual contact escalated to such an extent that she ended up “just giving in”.
During the three-year period of abuse, the girl asked Casey why he did those things only to be told that he was doing it “to teach me sexual things” and that he was preparing her for “later in life”.
Details of offences that happened in a nearby forest park and a disused factory were also described in great detail by the victim.
The offences ceased in January 2012 when Casey left Ireland for West Africa to carry out some charitable work but the victim said that she posted an entry into her diary, “It’s out now after I confided in someone, Michael Casey has been molesting me for the last three years.”
The court heard that she confided in a school friend before a chain of disclosures were made to school staff and the girl’s own parents.
Casey denied all the allegations and said that the girl was “simply making it up, it’s all a fantasy”.
Judge O’Donnell said that there were limited mitigating circumstance for Michael Casey as “no apology has been offered nor has there been any expression of remorse as the accused is not accepting of the verdict”.
“The accused took advantage of every opportunity to have his way with the victim where there were incidents in the back of van, the girl’s home, and at a rented apartment and house.
“There is a serious disparity in the ages and a significant breach of trust and therefore the appropriate sentence is one of six years.”
Michael Casey’s name has been added to the register of sexual offenders for a period of six years and legal aid in the event of an appeal was granted by Judge O’Donnell.
