A former scout leader has been sentenced to 16 months in prison for sexually abusing a young boy on an overnight scouting trip more than 40 years ago.
David O'Brien, 70, formerly of Benburb Street, Dublin, pleaded guilty to a single count of indecently assaulting the boy, who was aged nine or 10 at the time, on a date in 1981.
O’Brien has 22 previous convictions for indecent assault and voluntarily told gardaí he abused upwards of 40 children between 1975 and 1983.
He is currently serving a series of sentences in the Midlands Prison Portlaoise for indecent assault and is not due for release until February 2025 at the earliest.
O’Brien has been in custody since October 2015.
Passing sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Melanie Greally praised the complainant's "eloquent and moving" victim impact statement and expressed the hope that the conclusion of the case would bring him some comfort.
Judge Greally noted that the incident had had a profoundly harmful effect on the child, severely affecting his confidence, social ability and trust.
In the victim impact statement, the complainant, who did not wish to be named in order to protect his family, said the abuse had left him feeling "frozen and alone".
"It altered my personality, I became introverted and my ability to trust crumbled," he wrote.
However, he said he did not regard himself either "as a victim or as a survivor" and said it had been "such a positive experience seeing justice being served".
He encouraged any other people affected by any form of sexual abuse to come forward or to report it.
Judge Greally sentenced O'Brien to 16 months in prison dating from today.
