Sexually exploited teen girl

A man in his 50s from Bailieborough has been sentenced to over six years in prison for sexual crimes against a 15-year-old child.

Lee Peters (55) whose address was given as Crocknahattin, was indicted on one charge of sexually exploiting the girl, one count of using information and communications technology to exploit her, and 41 separate counts of having sexual intercourse with the child over a 14-month period.

When the abuse started in March 2023, the girl was aged 15 years and Lee Peters was 37 years her senior.

The judge in the case said it was apparent from evidence he had seen that “significant grooming” of the child took place and that Lee Peters “knew very well” her age and that it was illegal.

Peters continued to have sex with the underage girl into her 16th year.

The court also heard how the girl turned down €10,000 cash offered by her abuser as a token of his remorse.

Peters pleaded guilty to three of the total 43 sexual offences on his indictment including using technology to exploit the girl, sexually exploiting her, and a single count of having sex with an underage child.

His guilty plea was entered on a full facts basis, which means he admitted the offences and agrees without reservation to the prosecution’s entire version of events.

While the courts had previously dealt with the matter in private, the presiding judge at Cavan Circuit Court did not clear the packed courtroom for the sentencing hearing on June 30.

At the end of proceedings, state barrister for the prosecution said his instructions were that the young victim is “happy for the accused’s name to be publicised” but did not want her identity revealed.

Lee Peters appeared by video link from Wheatfield Prison where he had been remanded in custody since pleading guilty in March.

Judge John Aylmer told Peters the charge of sexually exploiting a child “is the offence that encompasses the gravity of your offending” and carries a potential maximum sentence of life, or 15 years’ imprisonment. Peters’ claims that he was confused about age laws in Ireland because he is a UK citizen did not stand up even by his own evidence and was an aggravating factor when it came to the judge deciding what sentence to impose on the businessman.

“It’s apparent from text messages and the account you gave in your probation report that you knew very well her age and that it was illegal,” the judge told Peters.

The prolonged 14-month period of the abuse was another aggravating feature Judge Aylmer pointed out, as was the negative impact the abuse has had on the young girl, which is evident from her victim impact statement.

The teenager described how she suffers depression and post-traumatic stress from the abuse and feels ‘robbed of her adolescence’. Judge Aylmer said he considered Lee Peters’ offending on the first charge of exploiting a child to be on the upper end of the scale, which merited a sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment before mitigation.

The judge also placed the counts of using technology to exploit the child and having sexual intercourse with her when she was underage on the upper end of the offending scale which, before mitigation, warranted six and four years in prison respectively.

Judge Aylmer acknowledged Peters’ early guilty plea, which meant his victim was spared the “trauma” of a trial. The fact he was fully co-operative with the investigation was “very much in your favour”, Judge Aylmer also told him.

“Prior to this, you are described in life as being a very hard worker,” the judge said of Peters.

“But you displayed little victim empathy or understanding of the gravity of your offending, which has made it difficult for the Probation Service to engage with you,” Judge Aylmer pointed out.

In sentencing him, Judge Aylmer said all the mitigating factors taken together mandated a reduction of the maximum prison sentences for each charge. For using information or communications technology to exploit the child, Peters was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison. On the charge of having sexual intercourse with the 15-year-old he was sentenced to four years in jail and for the first and “most serious” charge of sexually exploiting the teenager he was given six years and eight months in prison.

The judge ordered all the prison terms to run concurrently, which means Peters will serve a total of six years and eight months in jail.

The judge also suspended the final 12 months of his sentence for a period of 12 months provided he comply with four recommendations made by the Probation and Welfare Services post his release.

The remaining 41 counts of having sex with an underage girl were marked nolle prosequi on the basis of full facts and Peters’ prison sentence was back-dated until the date he first went into custody on March 12.

* This report was produced with support from the Court Reporting Scheme