Convicted sex offender to be sentenced for sexual abuse of four nieces

A man from Legan, County Longford, has been remanded in custody pending sentencing at the Central Criminal Court for the sexual abuse of four nieces over a decade. The 49-year-old pleaded guilty in January to seven charges, including three counts of anal rape and one count of sexual assault. The offences occurred between 2001 and 2010, when the victims were aged between seven and sixteen years old. The defendant has a prior conviction from 1997 for unlawful carnal knowledge of a 14-year-old girl. During proceedings, the court heard victim impact reports and evidence detailing the circumstances of the abuse. The defence presented mitigating factors, including the defendant's low intellectual functioning and limited education. Justice Patrick McCarthy remanded the man in custody to 11 May for sentencing. The four victims consented to the defendant being identified publicly but requested anonymity for themselves.