ROBERT RADLAK SENTENCED FOR SEXUAL ASSAULT IN NEWRY AND BELFAST

A man accused of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in Newry has been formally sentenced to serve time behind bars. Robert Radlak, who was previously residing in Newry but has since moved to Crosscollyer Street in Belfast, received a total prison term of sixteen months. The sentence comprises eight months of detention followed by an eight-month period of probation.

Radlak, aged 39, pleaded guilty to a single count of sexual assault involving a child, which took place on May 18 of the previous year. The case was heard at Newry Crown Court on a Wednesday, where the Honourable Judge Paul Ramsey presided over the proceedings.

During the hearing, Judge Ramsey detailed the circumstances surrounding the incident, revealing that shortly before 8 pm, the child's mother contacted the police to report her daughter’s distress. The mother explained that her daughter had returned home from visiting a friend’s house, where Radlak, the father of her friend, had engaged in inappropriate behavior. Specifically, Radlak had kissed the girl on the neck and then placed his hand under her trousers.

According to the judge, the children had been playing outside earlier that day and decided to go inside Radlak’s bedroom. Once inside, Radlak reportedly locked the door behind them and told the children he intended to give them a massage using a massage machine. The young girl eventually fell asleep in the room but later awoke to find Radlak unzipping his trousers with a different massage device near her private parts. The court heard that Radlak also began kissing her neck and asked her a sexually suggestive question, which she responded to with a firm