A judge has remarked on the “serious depravity” of charges against a man accused of sexually abusing a child relative over a prolonged period.
The accused who is aged in his twenties but cannot be identified to protect the complainant is charged with two counts of rape, causing a child to engage in sexual activity and sexual assault – all aggravated by domestic abuse.
Offending is alleged to have occurred between 2016 to 2024.
A detective constable told Dungannon Magistrates Court all charges could be connected.
She explained on 27 November police received a referral from Social Services after a pupil handed a note to her teacher outlining long-term sexual abuse by a family member since she was around six-years-old.
The note said, “It’s been bothering me for a really long time and I don’t know who to talk to so I told my friend. No-one else knows. I didn’t know how to tell anyone and I felt like I couldn’t, but I can’t hold it in anymore. It’s really hard to talk about it so I had to write it down.”
She described how an older relative had sexually abused her over a seven year period in which she was made to touch his genitals.
During the Covid pandemic he would regularly undress and have her perform oral sex on him.
The last time this occurred was early 2024.
The defendant was contacted and asked to meet with Social Services staff in order to complete a safeguarding process as allegations had been made against him.
When asked if he knew what this was about he replied, “Yes it was years ago and there was kissing and stuff.”
He was arrested and during interview denied all allegations put to him.
Objecting to bail the detective said while it accepts some of the offences occurred while the defendant was a youth, it is alleged to have carried on into adulthood.
She continued, “This is an extremely concerning case and there is an ongoing risk to the complainant and other children. If released he is likely to interfere with the complainant. The Social Services safety plan does not support him residing at his current address and while his father’s home was suggested it has been found to be wholly unsuitable.”
It transpired when police spoke to the father who contended the defendant was, “Only telling the complainant about the birds and the bees” and there had been conversations between father-and-son on the allegations.
The father however refused to provide screenshots of these conversations describing himself as “a dangerous man” who would not be providing anything to police, whom he continually referred to as “corrupt RUC and rotten to the core.
He further “dared” police to come to get the screenshots and warned them to “stay the f*** away” from his son.
It was also disclosed the defendant had blocked the complainant from social media just prior to his arrest in an attempt to conceal material evidence contained within his phone and had refused to provide his passcode.
A defence barrister advised the father’s address was no longer being proffered and an alternative has been put forward but the detective said this has been deemed too close to the complainant’s home.
The defence stressed the defendant has no previous convictions of any kind and his father’s interaction with police was “completely irrelevant”.
District Judge Steven Keown remarked, “In cases of serious sexual abuse and domestic violence, it’s not unusual for those accused to have little or no criminal record. This case involves a combination of both. The allegations are off the utmost in seriousness and depravity over a prolonged period. The risks are entirely unmanageable.”
Bail was refused and the defendant will appear again by video-link on 17 December.
