Former Army sergeant jailed for sexual abusing two victims
Isabel Hayes and Fiona Ferguson
A former Army sergeant who was convicted of sexually abusing two vulnerable victims in separate offences has been jailed for 11 years.
Anthony Lynch (42) was found guilty by a jury following a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial last February of one count of sexually assaulting a young man on December 12th, 2024.
Lynch was convicted in a second trial in January 2026 of two counts of sexual assault of a girl on a date between July and August 2022.
The court heard that the girl's family and the young man do not object to Lynch being identified, but do not wish to be identified themselves.
Lynch, formerly of Berryfield Drive, Finglas, does not accept the verdict of the jury and has denied any wrongdoing at all times.
Victim impact statements before the court outlined the adverse and ongoing effects of the abuse on both victims.
The young man said the defendant did not show any remorse or apologise after the incident. “This has been extraordinarily painful for me to deal with,” he said.
The father of the young girl described in his impact statement how his once-happy daughter must now struggle to overcome her demons as a result of the abuse. "Thanks to her bravery, she came forward and got him off the streets,” he told the court
Judge Elma Sheahan noted the significant impact on the victims of these offences. She commended the manner in which they had carried themselves during the proceedings and in difficult and trying circumstances.
She noted no one could be unaware of the damage done to children who are sexually assaulted by a person in a position of trust. She said she took into account the age disparity and the vulnerability of the victims, which was known to Lynch.
She noted Lynch has no previous convictions, a long history of employment, and is a father.
He has complied with all bail conditions. She said the court must take into account the impact of a custodial sentence on a person for the first time.
Judge Sheahan, taking all factors into account, imposed a total sentence of eleven years.
She said there had been no insight, remorse, or acceptance of the jury verdict, so the court could see no evidential basis to suspend any of the sentence.
The court heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions' view was that the cases fell into the upper end of offending due to the age and vulnerability of the victims, as well as an element of predatory and grooming behaviour.
John Berry SC, defending, said Lynch did not have the greatest mitigation, outlining that he had pleaded not guilty and does not accept the jury verdicts.
He asked the court to take into account that he has a work history, including service to the State, and is a father. He said there was support in the community available to him on release.
Counsel asked the court to consider that he has no history of offending and has honoured his bail conditions.
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
