Sex offender named as teen drops anonymity

A sex offender has been named after his victim and mother of his child asked a judge to waive her right to anonymity.
39 year old Carl Heaton pleaded guilty to the defilement of a child when he admitted having sex with the then 15-year-old on three different occasions in Co Donegal in 2008.
The young woman, now 19, later gave birth to Heaton’s son.
The Irish Independent reports this afternoon that Judge John O’Hagan was asked to return to Letterkenny Circuit Court after he had sentenced Heaton to three years in prison so that the victim could address him.
She asked that Heaton be named, even if it may identify her. Judge O’Hagan granted the request.
The court heard that former soldier Heaton, from Lartigue village in Listowel, Co Kerry, had first groomed his victim when she was invited to his daughter’s 16th birthday party.
In her victim impact statement, the girl said that Heaton put her through hell.
She said the best thing that happened to her was the birth of her son.

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