A 55-year-old man from Derry was sentenced today for five counts of cruelty to children at Newry Crown Court.
The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victims, will serve four years in prison and four years on licence.
Police said afterwards that this offender is a cruel and dangerous individual who inflicted horrendous sexual and physical abuse on a number of children, whom they praised for coming forward.
*****************
PSNI statement –
Today, Friday 27th September, a 55-year-old man from the Derry/Londonderry area was sentenced for five counts of cruelty to children at Newry Crown Court.
The man, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the victims, will serve four years in prison and four years on licence.
Detective Constable Mitchell said “This offender is a cruel and dangerous individual who inflicted horrendous sexual and physical abuse on a number of children. We commend their bravery in coming forward and welcome the custodial sentence he received today as a result.
“Every child should feel safe in their home, cared for by those who love them. Unfortunately, we know that this is not always the case and so we will continue to work with our partners to protect children and bring offenders before the courts to answer for their crimes.
“The Police Service of Northern Ireland take reports of child abuse extremely seriously, no matter when the abuse occurred. If you are concerned that a child may be being neglected or abused in any way, please come forward to police by calling 101, or in an emergency 999.”
