AN Islander who sexually abused his younger cousin has been jailed for four years by an Irish court.
Darren Dowling (48), who lived in Jersey, was extradited from the Island and last year convicted of eight counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault at a trial in the Criminal Courts of Justice in Dublin.
According to the Laois Nationalist, Dowling spent several years abusing his younger cousin Alan Murphy in the early 1990s.
Mr Murphy waived the lifelong anonymity he was entitled to as a victim of sexual abuse in order to have Dowling named for his offending.
The court heard that the offences took place in Mr Murphy’s home in a suburban village just outside of Dublin.
Mr Murphy was aged between three and six at the time of the offending, and Dowling was aged between 13 and 16.
Dowling was responsible for babysitting his cousin, and the court heard that “on each and every occasion” the older boy would put his genitals into the child’s mouth.
Mr Murphy’s victim impact statement, which was read to the court, explained that the abuse had caused him to turn to drink and drugs to block out the trauma.
He said he was embarrassed and ashamed of people finding out what had happened.
Dowling was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment, with an additional year as a suspended sentence.
He has previous convictions from his time in Jersey, including one from when an undercover police officer caught him sending obscene and indecent messages.
