Man who gave teenage girl drugs before having intercourse jailed for six years 

A 14-year-old girl believed she was in a sexual ‘relationship’ with a 26-year-old man who was giving her Xanax and cannabis before intercourse. 

It was only when she was older that she realised the extent of his manipulation and now he has been jailed for six years.

Judge Helen Boyle imposed a sentence of seven-and-a-half years with the last 18 months suspended on 33-year-old Oisín White at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The judge prohibited identification of the injured party or of the defendant’s address.

Detective Garda MaryBridget Enneguess investigated the case and said the “secret relationship” between the parties commenced through SnapChat and continued from April to November 2020, when the defendant was aged 26/27 and the injured party was 14/15.

It came to light when the girl was supposedly on a sleepover at a friend’s house but her parents discovered she was not there. 

They found her in a restaurant with the accused and she said she had sexual intercourse with him the previous night. Her parents brought her to a sexual assault treatment unit on that occasion.

A solicitor’s letter was sent to the defendant, on behalf of the girl’s parents, in which he was told to stay away from her and it made her age abundantly clear. 

However, Oisín White and the teenager continued to see each other and have sexual intercourse.

Now at Cork Circuit Criminal Court he has pleaded guilty three counts of engaging in a sexual act with a child under 15 and seven counts of engaging with a child under 17. The different age categories of the offences reflect the fact that she was 14 at the beginning and 15 by the end.

While the words, ‘relationship’ and ‘secret relationship’ were used in the case to refer to the period of the offences, Judge Helen Boyle referred to it as a “so-called relationship”. 

The victim impact statement was handed into to court for the judge but not read out.

Judge Boyle referred to it stating that the injured party, as she became that much older and wiser, came to realise the extent of the manipulation that was going on.

Defence senior counsel Donal O’Sullivan said: “At interview he said to the guards that he thought she was older but he did admit that he obviously knew her age when the letter arrived from her parents telling him to have no contact with her and making clear that she had just turned 15. 

"He had no previous convictions. He has since entered into a relationship (with another person) and they have a child together. He is 33 now. Contact with (the injured party) ended in November 2020. It has taken a while to come to court. He seems to have been someone who was socially isolated.

Judge Boyle said: “The aggravating factor was the significant age difference and the fact that you gave her drugs. It is clear that she realises she was taken advantage of and it completely changed her life. She still suffers panic attacks and has a big fear of being taken advantage of again.

“The probation report said you struggle to fully connect with the harm caused to the victim or grasp the extent of your offending,” Judge Boyle said.