Former County Donegal vicar who sexually abused boy sentenced to four years in prison

Eamonn Crossan (73), a former priest of the Diocese of Raphoe, appeared via videolink from Castlerea Prison before Judge John Aylmer at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Wednesday morning after pleading guilty to historic sex offences.

He pleaded guilty to nine counts out of a total of 96 in relation to the victim’s dates in the late 1980s and early 1990s at named locations in County Donegal.

The State filed a nolle prosequi in relation to 44 charges in Letterkenny Circuit Court, while the guilty pleas related to seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.

In sentencing on Wednesday, Judge John Aylmer sentenced Crossan to five years in prison with the last 12 months suspended.

The court previously heard how the victim, aged between 10 and 15, endured numerous incidents of sexual abuse from Crossan over a five-year period, some of which occurred at the boy’s home.

During an earlier hearing, the victim, who was accompanied to court by his wife, read a strong victim impact statement and told Crossan; “I hope you return to where you came from.”

The victim said he was robbed of any sense of a normal childhood and had to fight hard against his demons to survive in everyday life due to the abuse he suffered.

When he saw on the news the name of the same priest who had abused him for years, he said, “Every word was like a slap in the face.”

“After today, I won’t let you stand in my way another day of my life,” the victim said.

“I hope you return to where you came from.

“If there is a God, then there is certainly a hell, and that is what awaits you.”

The court heard Crossan regularly visited the victim’s family home and the first incident occurred when the boy was staying with Crossan to look after him when he was ill with the flu.

At this point, the victim stated that he was lying in bed, wearing pajamas, and did not recall seeing Crossan masturbating, but did see him exposing himself.

In a statement, the victim said the abuse progressed quickly and Crossan touched and sexually assaulted him.

The victim said the abuse had become normalized, but he did not know exactly how often the abuse occurred.

He said he wears pajamas to sleep and sometimes wakes up with nothing on.

He remembered an incident when he came out of the bathroom and was greeted by Crossan rubbing against him and calling it a sword fight.

He said that during his time as an altar boy there was some cuddling and kissing in the parish room and in the sacristy.

The victim said that at one point he was lying in the bed that Crossan went to and the victim told him that he didn’t like the things he was doing to him.

At the earlier hearing, Fiona Crawford BL, prosecuting, said this marked an end to the abuse.

In 2021, the victim told his wife about the abuse and reported it to gardaí.

The court heard Crossan made certain admissions during the interview process but denied some of the allegations.

He told gardaí that the victim was “a lot of fun to be with”.

Crossan said it was a friendship because he needed affection, but denied a sexual element.

Looking at previous convictions, the court heard that Crossan was convicted of indecent assault on a child in 2021 and was sentenced to three years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended.

Mr Peter Nolan BL (defending) told the court that Crossan was generally co-operative but used other language which mitigated the allegations.

Mr Nolan said Crossan could have been released from prison in August 2022 but has been detained since then on the issue as he had nowhere else to go as neither the family nor the church had provided for him.

The court heard that Crossan downplayed his culpability in sexually abusing the victim, stating that the victim’s statement was 99 percent untrue and stressing that his actions were not sexually motivated.

Mr Nolan said Crossan took the position that nothing sexual had happened, saying he had previously attended the Granada Institute after a report of abuse and had undergone a sex offender treatment program.

Crossan was defrocked from the priesthood in 1998 and allowed to remain in the shelter. In 1999 he was transferred to Kildare until he was sent to prison in January 2021.

However, the house in Kildare has been sold and he is worried about his future as he has no family or friends.

A risk assessment placed him in the “medium risk of reoffending” category, while he was deemed unsuitable for community service due to his health problems.

A governor’s report described him as an “improved inmate” who is not a problem for staff or management, has no disciplinary problems, attends school in prison and works in horticulture.

Mr Nolan said he fully accepted that this was a difficult situation for the victim and understood that the victim had been severely impacted by his actions.

At Wednesday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Aylmer said Crossan would plead guilty in court to seven counts of indecent assault and two counts of sexual assault.

He explained that the plea in relation to the nine counts was representative of 52 cases of such offenses between March 1987 and December 1992.

In handing down the sentence, Judge Aylmer said the aggravating circumstances of the case were the young age of the minor victim, aged between 10 and 15 years, and the evidence showed that the victim was regularly sexually abused on a weekly basis over a period of almost six years be period and the authority of the accused as a priest.

The judge said the offense constituted a serious breach of trust and that the more serious offense regularly involved abusing the victim in bed with the defendant by caressing the child’s genitals while the defendant masturbated himself.

Judge Aylmer said the sexual abuse had had a devastating psychological impact on the child and these effects continued to affect her as an adult.

Judge Aylmer said the most serious incidents of indecent assault, which involved touching the child’s genitals, carried a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and he classified the offense at the intermediate level, requiring a prison sentence of six years the mitigation was justified.

Regarding the sexual assault, Judge Aylmer classified it as moderate and said he deserved a sentence of three years before being reduced.

Regarding the charges relating to kissing on the lips and cuddling, Judge Aylmer placed them at the lower end of the moderate offending scale and said they deserved a sentence of three years before being reduced.

A further charge relating to kissing and cuddling was found to warrant an 18-month prison sentence.

In mitigation, Judge Aylmer said that a plea had been entered on the date of trial and he acknowledged that it was a late plea but said that it should still be accepted as it spared the victim further trauma.

As for the confessions, Judge Aylmer acknowledged that they were limited, but there was evidence that some confessions had been made. However, this was somewhat mitigated by a probation report which stated that he lacked empathy for the victim and had limited remorse.

The judge said that Mr Peter Nolan told the court at the previous hearing that when the defendant heard the victim impact statement, he gave the impression for the first time that he understood the impact his crime had on the victim who had been a victim, could understand to some extent.

Judge Aylmer said the defendant remained in custody following a verdict for a similar conviction handed down on August 4, 2022.

He added that he had agreed to be released on bail but had nowhere to go as his family had no contact or support and no accommodation was available to him.

Judge Aylmer said Crossan admitted the earlier offense in 1998, served a sentence and admitted he had been expelled from the priesthood and sent to the Granada Institute, which is also being considered as a mitigating measure.

However, he added that the Ramada Institute visit did not appear to have been very effective due to the limited admission numbers, remorse and empathy shown in this case.

Judge Aylmer also noted that the defendant was 73 years old, was a prisoner in an institution, and was subject to a favorable report from the governor.

Taking these mitigating factors into account, Judge Aylmer reduced the main sentence from six years in prison to one of five years in prison.

The remaining sentences must be served concurrently.

The judgment should be retroactively dated August 4, 2022.

Judge Aylmer said that given the defendant’s age and his ongoing need for rehabilitation and reintegration into society, he would suspend the final 12 months of the five-year sentence, resulting in a total of four years in prison.

Crossan was ordered to post a €100 bond to keep the peace and avoid good behavior.

He must also remain under the supervision of the probation officer during the 12 months following his release, comply with the probation officer’s instructions, keep appointments and keep the probation officer informed of any changes to his address or contact details.

He was also ordered not to have unsupervised contact with young people or children in connection with employment, leisure activities or sporting activities.

Following the verdict, the Diocese of Raphoe released a statement apologizing to the victim and calling on any other victims to come forward.

Monsignor Kevin Gillespie, Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Raphoe ​​said: “Today Eamonn Crossan, a former priest of the Diocese of Raphoe, was convicted in Letterkenny District Court of crimes against a minor.

“On behalf of the diocese and with deep shame for his actions, I sincerely apologize to his victim.

“I recognize that the pursuit of justice is only part of the healing journey, yet I hope that the vindication of today’s sentencing will somehow bring support and comfort to them, their family and their friends.”

“I encourage anyone who has been abused or suspects they have been abused to report it immediately to state authorities or the Diocesan Safeguarding Office.

“To report current or historical concerns or complaints about child abuse, please contact Diocesan Liaison Officer Margaret Northage on 086 2183 011.

“Free advice and support is available from Towards Healing, an independent organization that provides professional support to people who have experienced institutional, church or religious abuse in Ireland. Freephone number 1800 303416,” said Monsignor Gillespie.