Baby Sitter Rapist Jailed For 11 Years

A Roscommon man has been jailed for 11 years for raping a baby-sitter over two decades ago.

John Gerard Regan, 57, from Cloonfad, Ballyhaunis was found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court last February of raping the now 36-year-old woman in 1982 and on three charges of indecently assaulting her in 1979 and 1984.

The victim said she wanted Regan named in media reports of the case.

Mr Justice Kevin O'Higgins who had told him then that he faced "a lengthy sentence", imposed the 11-year sentence and directed that Regan's name be entered in the register of sex offenders.

The five day trial saw Regan plead not guilty at the start of his trial to one charge of raping the woman and 29 charges of indecent assault. Mr Justice O'Higgins withdrew 26 of the charges from the jury at the trial.

The now 36-year-old woman told prosecuting counsel Mr Anthony Sammon SC she was sexually assaulted from the age of seven by the man who she said raped her when she was 11-years-old and staying in his house after baby-sitting.

Regan claimed in court that the allegations against him were untrue and maintained the offences never happened claiming: "I never went near her".

Detective Sergeant John Hynes told Mr Sammon, that when interviewed by garda after his arrest Regan said: "If I done all those things you have written down from her, I would be remorseful."

The victim described numerous incidents where she alleged he would pull up beside her on the road and take her to an isolated bog land and sexually assault her, and incidents which took place while baby sitting.

She rejected suggestions by defence counsel, Mr Martin Giblin SC, that she bore a grudge against the man's daughter because she believed she had called social services about her with concerns about the welfare of her child.

(DW/JM)