19/01/2023

L'Derry Man Jailed For Sexual Assault Of A Child

A 63-year-old L'Derry man has been sentenced to nine years for indecent assault on a male, sexual activity with a child and sexual assault at Antrim Crown Court.

John Gerard Roddy will serve six years in custody and three years on license. He will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and will be subjected to a SOPO for ten years.

Welcoming the sentencing, Constable Jason McMorris said: "Roddy breached his position of trust in the victim’s life, coercing and manipulating him. He took what should have been carefree, happy, teenage years away from him. No person, let alone a child, should ever be exploited in this heinous way.

"The victim showed immense courage and bravery to report these crimes to us, which have had a lasting impact on him for many years. I hope that his strength and confidence in the Police to conduct a thorough investigation encourages other victims of child abuse to come forward and report.

"We take a robust stance against targeting sex offenders, particularly those who target and abuse children, and will work tirelessly to get take these people off our streets.

"Time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward. Do not suffer in silence. Call 101 or 999 in case of emergency."

Related Northern Ireland News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

15 March 2023
83 Child Predators Convicted In 2022
The PSNI have recorded a 43% increase in the number of searches conducted by the Child Internet Protection Team (CIPT). In 2022, CIPT officers carried out 145 searches, 43% more than 2021, seized thousands of devices and uncovered tens of thousands of indecent images of children.
24 November 2023
81-Year-Old Bangor Man Jailed For Historic Sexual Offences
An 81-year-old man has been jailed for three years for a number of historic sexual offences. David Parkinson, from Bangor, Co Down, was sentenced at Dungannon Crown Court for 12 offences including gross indecency, indecent assault and rape. The offences were committed between 1976 and 1983.
08 November 2021
Man Sentenced To 16 Years For A Number Of Historical Sexual Abuse Offences
A 48-year-old has been sentenced to 16 years for a number of historical sexual abuse offences against a child, at Laganside Court. Tommy Harris will serve eight years in jail and eight years on licence. He will also be place on the sex offenders register for life. Harris's conviction comes after his victim waived her anonymity to speak out.
09 July 2002
NI religious attitudes hardening
There is an increasing hardening of attitudes by both Protestants and Catholics towards living, working and learning together according to new research. The research conducted by the University of Ulster reveals that Protestants’ and Catholics’ perceptions of each other are becoming increasingly negative.
06 July 2021
Legislation Introduced To Strengthen NI's Sexual Offences And Trafficking Laws
New legislation to improve public safety by updating the law on sexual offending in Northern Ireland has been introduced by Justice Minister Naomi Long.