Man (56) jailed for sexual abuse of teenage boy 20 years ago

By Eimear Dodd and Fiona Ferguson

A man who sexually abused and blackmailed a teenage boy 20 years ago has been jailed for four years.

Kevin Keenan (56) of Casement Grove, Finglas West, Dublin, pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual assault on dates between 2004 and 2006.

The Central Criminal Court was told on Monday that the injured party, Ciaran Brennan, wished to waive his right to anonymity and for Keenan to be named.

Brennan was aged 14 when the abuse started, and Keenan was 20 years older than him.

In his victim impact statement previously read to the court by prosecuting counsel, Brennan outlined the hurt, humiliation and fear he experienced because of the abuse.

He said Keenan “used my sexuality against me” and pressurised him. He said he was a child, and Keenan used his sexuality to blackmail him.

He said he felt “robbed from a choice I was too young to handle”.

Keenan was handed a sentence of five years and six months, with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions.

Judge Paul McDermott noted the repeated nature of the offending, and said Keenan took advantage of the injured party's youth and vulnerability.

He said the injured party's youth was “blighted” by what was done to him and that the abuse continues to affect him.

The judge said he took into account the mitigation including Keenan's guilty plea, the contents of psychological and Probation Service reports, his intellectual disability and recent diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia, for which he has being undergoing treatment in the community.

Suspending the final 18 months of the sentence, McDermott directed Keenan to place himself under the Probation Service supervision for two years post-release.

Other conditions of the suspended sentence include that Keenan have no contact with the injured party, that he engage in any risk management process and not be in the company of a child unless in the presence of another adult.

Evidence was previously heard that the injured party came into contact with Keenan through a friend who is related to the defendant, and that groups of friends would often go to Keenan's home

In the first incident, Keenan was sitting beside the boy on the couch, then put his hand on his lap. He then opened a newspaper and moved it over his hand as he rubbed the boy's leg. The boy panicked and jumped up. Others were present in the room, the court was told.

The boy got up and went to the bathroom and Keenan later asked him if they could meet so he could “suck him off”.

The boy refused. Keenan contacted the boy after getting his phone number and the injured party told gardaí he became very scared, and ultimately wanted to get it over and done with.

He thought it would be a once-off, but the abuse continued, taking place approximately every two weeks over a two-year period.

Keenan's abuse of the boy included inappropriately touching him over his clothing and performing oral sex on him. Keenan also masturbated the boy, the court was told.

The court heard that some of the abuse took place in the bathroom of Keenan's house and the boy was scared someone would come in.

The investigating garda told the court that Keenan used the threat that he had caught the boy engaging with another male to carry out the abuse which happened.

Keenan was cooperative when interviewed by gardaí and made some admissions, partly accepting the injured party's account of events.

He has two previous unrelated convictions, dating back to the 1990s, and no previous convictions for sexual offending.

In his victim impact statement, Brennan said he was too afraid to seek support and hid a lot away. He said he took out his pain and suffering on his family when he was a teenager, and they didn't know why he was acting out.

The injured party said he broke down when he was 18 and tried to tell his mother what had happened, but instead “told her I was gay and that was why I was acting out”.

He said he continues to struggle with his self-respect and ability to trust others, but his recovery could now start.

He said he now knows how strong he was to report what happened to him.

Dean Kelly SC, defending, outlined that the defendant had been recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and had been hospitalised for some time. He said his legal team had sought an updated psychological report as a result.

He said the accused was currently receiving treatment in the community and taking medication. Kelly submitted that custody will be particularly difficult for Keenan and his treatment will be held up as a result, which was a significant price to pay.

He said reports before the court set out Keenan’s early difficulties and outlined his limited intellectual capacity.

He said Keenan meets the criteria for an intellectual disability and has met significant difficulties throughout his life. He has a good work history and has been a carer for his mother.

Counsel said Keenan had answered the questions of the gardai, initially suggesting the injured party was 16 but later conceding he may have been younger.

He said his client struggled with the intellectual concept of coercion and bullying, but accepts what he did was wrong and apologised.

Kelly said Keenan was not on the garda radar, there was no suggestion of further offending, and his risk of re-offending has been assessed as being within the moderate range.

If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help. In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.