Tuesday, 24 June 2008

Calls to challenge child sex abuser's 'lenient' sentence

Full Story: http://www.stopinjusticenow.com/News_0896.htm

THE DIRECTOR of Public Prosecutions has been challenged to appeal against the leniency of a one-year prison sentence, given to a father-of-eight who plied a Junior Cert student with alcohol and then video-taped graphic sex acts. The challenge came as the teen's family admitted they remain "very upset" by the sentence given to Anthony Nagle (48) and the fact that the case took almost three years to conclude. Nagle, formerly of Nicholas Square, Ballymacthomas, Cork, pleaded guilty to both the production and possession of child pornography. The family of the 15-year-old girl are now considering their position on an appeal to the DPP, but are very worried at the implications for their daughter of the case dragging on. Last night, Rape Crisis Network Ireland expressed outrage at the sentence and demanded that the DPP challenge the sentence to the Court of Criminal Appeal. RCN director, Fiona Neary, said she was appalled at the sentence and its potential implications for child protection. "Mr Nagle was a trusted friend of the family. His offences involved luring the child to his home; premeditatedly buying alcohol and plying the child with it and cannabis; lying to the child's mother about her location while he was in the act of sexually abusing her; videotaping this abuse and then continuing the sexual exploitation over a period of hours and while the child was semi-conscious under the influence of the alcohol and drugs she has been plied with," she said. The RCNI official said that the sentence has potentially enormous implications for child protection. "Messages on child protection must be clear from the legislation through to sentencing. Government and judges are failing to deliver that child protection message," she warned.

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