"Dangerous" serial offender (70) has jail term for sexually abusing autistic boy cut by appeal court

A 70-year-old man convicted of sexually assaulting an autistic child in Co Mayo had his prison sentence reduced on appeal at the Court of Appeal on 22 January 2018. The UK citizen pleaded guilty to one count of sexual assault against an 11-year-old boy in April 2015. He was originally sentenced to six years imprisonment in February 2017. The Court of Appeal, led by Mr Justice Alan Mahon, reduced the final 15 months of the sentence to a suspended term, conditional on participation in a sex offender programme and good behaviour. The court acknowledged the man's extensive prior history of sexual offences committed in the UK over several decades, describing him as dangerous. However, it noted he had maintained a clean record in Ireland for approximately 22 years prior to this offence and was serving as primary carer for his significantly disabled wife. The suspended element was imposed to incentivise rehabilitation.