Man who abused niece jailed after extradition from US

The court was told the abuse started in the summer of 1975

A man from Northern Ireland who was extradited from the United States has been jailed for indecently assaulting his niece more than 40 years ago.

The man, from Londonderry, who cannot be named to protect his victim's identity, admitted 12 counts of indecent assault on dates between August 1975 and August 1979.

Londonderry Crown Court was told the abuse began when the victim was 11-years-old.

Judge Neil Rafferty sentenced the man to 18 months in prison, a further 18 months on licence and two years on probation.

The court was told that in a victim impact statement, the woman said she carried the “scars of what he did to this day”.

The woman first attended a police station in Derry in October 2014 when the defendant was living in the US, the court was told.

Eventually he was extradited and charged with the offences and pleaded guilty in September of this year.

The court was told that the defendant sexually abused the victim on numerous occasions, stripping her and making her touch him.

The abuse continued over several years until the woman was aged 15.

Judge Rafferty said sexual abuse by a relative could often have “a damaging and corrosive impact on relationships within families”.

'Disgraceful distinction'

Before passing sentence, Judge Rafferty said that fortunately a “disgraceful distinction” where indecent assault on a female carried a maximum of two years while a similar assault on a male carried a maximum of 10 years, had now ended.

He said those who abused young children “must expect a custodial sentence”.

The man has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for 10 years.