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JOHN O’DONOGHUE'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN DUBLIN AND RATHMINES REVEALED

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In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Dublin community, John O’Donoghue, a man with deep ties to the city and its surrounding areas, has been convicted of heinous crimes involving child abuse.... Scroll down for more information.


Dublin Rathmines Child Sexual Abuser

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    JOHN O’DONOGHUE'S SHOCKING CRIMES IN DUBLIN AND RATHMINES REVEALED

    In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Dublin community, John O’Donoghue, a man with deep ties to the city and its surrounding areas, has been convicted of heinous crimes involving child abuse and possession of indecent images. The proceedings, which took place at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, have uncovered a disturbing pattern of criminal behavior spanning several years, with the accused’s past and present locations playing a significant role in the case.

    O’Donoghue, aged 58 at the time of sentencing, was found guilty of possessing a vast collection of child sexual abuse images. The court was informed that he had been caught with thousands of such images on March 27, 2012, at his former residence in Weaver’s Hall, Stepaside, Dublin. The investigation was initiated after Gardaí received confidential information in 2008, leading to a search of O’Donoghue’s property. During the search, authorities recovered a total of 2,500 images and 13 video files depicting child abuse, stored across a computer, a laptop, a memory stick, and two external hard drives.

    Prosecutor Antonia Boyle BL detailed the disturbing content of the seized material, revealing that 496 images showed children engaged in explicit sexual acts, while an additional 2,048 images depicted children with exposed genital regions. Among the video files, two contained explicit sexual activity involving children, and 11 showed children with exposed genitalia. Gardaí’s findings painted a grim picture of the extent of O’Donoghue’s possession of illegal material.

    Judge Patricia Ryan, presiding over the case, acknowledged the significant delay in bringing the matter to court, which she noted had impacted the proceedings. She pointed out that if the child pornography charges had been addressed concurrently with the earlier indecent assault case, the outcome might have been different for O’Donoghue. The judge also highlighted the serious harm inflicted on the children involved, considering this an aggravating factor. However, she took into account the systemic delay in the legal process when sentencing.

    During the court hearing, Garda Brian Davoren recounted that O’Donoghue, who listed an address at Leinster Square, Rathmines, Dublin, initially denied knowledge of the images when confronted in December 2016. When shown the seized computers, O’Donoghue claimed, “It’s not my PC,” and insisted he was unaware of the images. He expressed his disgust at the material, stating, “I find this to be disgusting and I do not look at child pornography. The fact that children may have been hurt in making these – I am seriously upset about that.”

    In a separate but related case from June 2013, O’Donoghue, then aged 53 and residing at The Gallops in Sandyford, Dublin, was also convicted of grooming and sexually abusing a young boy. The court heard that over a period of up to twenty occasions, O’Donoghue pretended to wrestle with the ten-year-old victim, which escalated into sexual abuse. The victim, who later dropped out of school and developed a severe heroin addiction, recounted how the abuse began with seemingly innocent play but gradually became more invasive, involving touching and masturbation.

    The victim’s descent into drug addiction was detailed in court, revealing that by age 12, he was sniffing lighter fluid, and by 13, he was taking ecstasy. His drug use progressed to cocaine and heroin after he left home at 15. He also attempted suicide by taking pills, but was saved by his father at the last moment. Decades later, the victim approached O’Donoghue, seeking financial help for rehab, which O’Donoghue provided, raising €8,500 from the sale of his house. The victim later reported the abuse to Gardaí, leading to O’Donoghue’s arrest and full admissions.

    O’Donoghue, who had served as a teacher at St Tiernan’s School in Sandyford for thirty years and was a former director of the Irish Table Tennis Association, was suspended from his duties and expressed doubts about retaining his position. The court heard that he had groomed the boy under the guise of wrestling, gradually escalating to more serious sexual acts, including touching the child’s genitals and ejaculating on him. The victim described how he initially enjoyed visiting O’Donoghue’s house, believing the abuse was normal because of its gradual nature and O’Donoghue’s manipulative control.

    The court was told that the abuse ceased when O’Donoghue moved away, but the victim’s mental health deteriorated, leading to drug addiction and suicidal thoughts. His family’s inability to afford rehab contributed to his desperation, prompting him to seek money from O’Donoghue, who eventually gave him €8,500 over time. The victim used some of this money to pay his drug dealer, and later, he reported everything to Gardaí. O’Donoghue admitted the abuse, claiming he only realized afterward that his actions were wrong and that the money was intended to help, not to buy silence.

    Defence counsel Mary Rose Gearty SC emphasized that O’Donoghue’s life was deeply intertwined with the sport of table tennis, which was now in ruins due to these allegations. She stated that he resigned voluntarily from his position at the Irish Table Tennis Association to avoid bringing shame or disgrace. She also highlighted that O’Donoghue had always given money to the victim without any conditions attached, portraying him as someone who was genuinely trying to help, albeit in a deeply flawed and criminal manner.

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