Goldman Sachs banker fired after pleading guilty to sexual assault

A banker at Goldman Sachs was fired last month after his bosses learned that he had pleaded guilty several months earlier in February to repeatedly sexually abusing his niece over several years beginning in 2004.

Ronan O’Grady, 33, who worked as a wealth adviser in Goldman’s London office since 2017, was sentenced to two years in prison late last month for sexually abusing his niece when she was six and he was 13, according to the Financial Times.

O’Grady pleaded guilty to eight counts of sexual assault.

His niece, Keely O’Grady, said her uncle touched her inappropriately, forced her to perform oral sex and showed her pornography, Irish news channel RTE reported.

On at least one occasion, Ronan O’Grady’s boyfriend hid in a closet and filmed some of the assaults on his phone. The crimes took place at the girls’ grandparents’ home in Offaly, a county west of Ireland’s capital Dublin.

Ronan O’Grady, who had no previous convictions, was sentenced to two years in prison after the judge in the case took into account the fact that he was between 13 and 17 years old at the time of the attacks.

He pleaded guilty in February and was sentenced last month. In the meantime, however, he continued working at Goldman without informing his superiors of his legal troubles, the investment bank said.

“Mr. O’Grady kept this criminal case secret from us until June 2024, despite being obligated to disclose it,” Goldman Sachs spokesman Tony Fratto told the Washington Post.

“His employment ended within days of us becoming aware of it.”

Fratto added that Goldman executives “were shocked to learn of Mr. O’Grady’s horrific past misconduct” and that “he is no longer employed by the firm.”

“Our thoughts are with the victim.”

The crimes to which O’Grady pleaded guilty were committed between 2004 and 2008.

According to RTE, 26-year-old Keely O’Grady contacted her uncle via social media after her 18th birthday and confronted him about his actions.

“I remember too. I hope you are well,” Ronan O’Grady wrote back to his niece, adding that he was “young and stupid” at the time.

Despite the social media messages to his niece, Ronan O’Grady maintained his innocence until the trial began. He finally pleaded guilty in February.

Keely O’Grady released a statement saying she suffered from depression, severe anxiety and suicidal thoughts as a result of the abuse.