Bruckless man jailed for 18-months for sex offences against teen

A schoolgirl, who’s sitting her Junior Cert this week, has opted to have a man guilty of stalking her named, he was also jailed for 18 months today.
Anthony Kearns, a 49-year-old former garden business owner, admitted a series of sex offences against the girl between the ages of 12 and 14.
Donegal Circuit Court heard the offences were committed between June 2005 and December 2007.
Judge Gerard Griffin jailed Shrewsbury-born Kearns, with an address at Bruckless, Co. Donegal, for three years but suspended half of it.
He also ordered Kearns to be placed on the register of sex offenders for 10 years.
The Judge commended the courage of the girl for approaching the authorities despite Kearns telling her for two years that nobody would believe her. He asked the prosecution to extend his good wishes to the girl in her examinations.
The judge also commended the welfare authorities and the gardai for the way they dealt with the case.
Garda Sgt Tom Mitchell said the offences started when Kearns was drinking after he split from his wife when he discovered she, who was also drinking heavily, had an affair with his father.
Kearns told the court that when he discovered the affair between his father and his wife he “was a broken man, both physically and mentally.”
He apologised to his girl victim who was not in court. .
Judge Griffin noted the victim said in her written impact report that she wanted the defendant named. The judge ruled the girl could not be identified.

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