Irish rape charitiy criticises length of Tom Humpries’ prison sentence
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has criticised the leniency of Tom Humpries' prison sentence, following reports that the convicted child abuser would be jailed for just two-and-a-half years.
The former Irish Times journalist was sentenced this afternoon after he was found guilty of sexually abusing a young girl and grooming her two years.
The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to four counts of inviting a child to participate in a sexually explicit, obscene or indecent act between January 2010 and March 2011.
The maximum sentence for this offence is life imprisonment.
He also pleaded guilty to two counts of defilement of the child between December 5, 2010 and February 19, 2011.
It is absolutely disgusting that admitted paedophile Tom Humphries only got two and a half years in prison. This needs to be changed NOW
— Nicola Bardon (@NicolaBardon) October 24, 2017
Judge has sympathy for Tom Humphries because of fall from “high profile position” – the same "high profile position" he used to groom victim
— Shrill by Mouth (@OrlaGleans) October 24, 2017
The victim was just 16 years of age when the incidents took place.
Noeline Blackwell, from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, said: "We may need to look at sentencing, but certainly just the implementation of sentencing is what's important about this case.
"A view was taken that because the person had had a high position that wasn't anymore, that seemed to be the key that was deciding the length of the sentence, not the level of harm that this man purposely did many, many times to a young girl."
Judge Karen O'Connor, said she based the decision on Humphries' guilty pleas as well as his loss of reputation and livelihood.
