Man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl at a sleepover is jailed

By Eimear Dodd

A man who sexually assaulted a teenage girl while they were watching television during a sleepover has been handed a prison sentence.

Craig Lynham (23) of Old Church Park, Clondalkin, Dublin 22 was found guilty earlier this month by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court of four counts of sexual assault on February 17, 2020.

The court heard that the complainant, who was aged 14 at the time, wishes for Lynham to be named, but wants to retain her anonymity.

A local garda told Liam Dockery BL, prosecuting, today that the victim was at a sleepover with others, at which Lynham was also present.

They were watching films on television and all those present fell asleep over the course of the night.

Lynham, who was then 19, was sitting beside the victim on the sofa.

Over the course of the night, he sexually assaulted her on four separate occasions by inappropriately touching her.

The victim froze and did not move.

She told her boyfriend the next day and he then told her father.

A complaint was made to gardai a few days later.

Lynham has 11 previous convictions, including for possession of stolen property and drugs offences.

He is currently serving a sentence on a separate matter and is due for release in September.

A victim impact statement was handed to the court, but not read aloud.

The garda agreed with Oisin Clarke BL, defending, that his client denied the allegations, but was co-operative and voluntarily attended the garda station.

Mr Clarke told the court that his client accepts the verdict of the jury and has expressed remorse.

His client began a course after completing his Leaving Certificate , but didn’t finish it.

He has been working, and was a keen footballer.

Defence counsel said Lynham has had difficulties with cocaine, and had been assessed to attend a treatment programme at Coolmine, however, this has been delayed.

He submitted to the court that his client’s behaviour was at the lower end of the range of behaviour as while the offending took place over a number of hours, each individual incident was short.

He acknowledged his client’s actions had caused difficulties for the injured party.

Defence counsel said there was also no skin-to-skin contact and no penetration, but there was touching over clothing.

Mr Clarke accepted there was an age gap between his client and the victim as his client was “an adult and she was a child”.

He noted that his client is an enhanced prisoner in custody, but he must spend 23 hours a day in lockdown.

His client will also face other consequences for his offending behaviour into the future including public opprobrium.

Judge Martin Nolan said Lynham had “taken advantage of the situation”.

He noted the age difference between the defendant and the victim and that there was no skin-to-skin contact between them.

He said Lynham is still a young man and that the “court always hopes for rehabilitation”.

He noted that Lynham has previous convictions, but said they are not relevant.

Judge Nolan said the charge of sexual assault covers a broad range of offending and he accepted the defence’s submission that this was not at the most serious end of the scale.

He handed Lynham a sentence of 16 months from today’s date.