Boy tried to upload video of sexual assault on cousin (8) to YouTube

A teenager from Sligo pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to sexually assaulting his eight-year-old cousin and recording the incident on St Stephen's Day 2021. The boy, who was 14 at the time and cannot be named due to his age, attempted to upload the video to YouTube, which intervention by the platform prevented. The attempt to upload led authorities to identify him. He has been sentenced to 16 months in detention followed by 16 months of probation supervision. Ms Justice Melanie Greally noted aggravating factors including the victim's age, breach of trust, premeditation, and efforts to upload the recording to social media. She accepted mitigating circumstances including the guilty plea and expressions of remorse. The judge set a headline sentence of 12 years had the defendant been an adult, reducing it to four years due to his age, then imposing the 16-month custodial term. The case has been referred to Tusla. The victim and her family provided impact statements describing ongoing distress.