A 52-year-old man has gone on trial at the Central Criminal Court accused of the sexual assault and the neglect of his son.
The man has pleaded not guilty to 47 charges of sexual assault and one charge of wilfully ill-treating or neglecting him in a manner causing unnecessary suffering and injury to his health by aggravating an injury suffered by the child and by delaying medical attention for him.
The offences are alleged to have taken place between 2001 and 2004 when the boy was between 12 and 15 years old.
The seven men and five women on the jury were told that as 'right thinking members of society' they would find the entire area of sexual assault disturbing, uncomfortable and even distressing.
Prosecuting Counsel Aileen Donnelly said no doubt they would find some of the testimony distressing.
But she said they must try the case in a clinical manner without emotion or revulsion.
She said they could not act out of sympathy of the accused person. They must act as impartial, independent judges in this case.
Ms Donnelly said the boy was sexually assaulted from in or about the age of 12 in 2001 until he was 15 in 2004.
She said they were regular matters taking place over that period.
She said they would have to decide in any given three-month period, did the offence alleged by the prosecution take place.
Ms Donnelly said the jury would have to consider each charge individually.
She told them the child in this case was the eldest of a number of children. She said the local social services had been involved with the family from the early stages.
She told them the charge of neglect or ill-treatment related to an incident where the child fell at school and injured his arms.
The prosecution says the father twisted the child's arms despite his injuries. The jury was told that the child was sent from one hospital to another.
On their way to the second hospital, the prosecution says the man went to the pub instead of going directly to the hospital.
The case is expected to last around two-and-a-half weeks.
