June 2014
Cork man who tied stepdaughter to bed and sexually assaulted her is jailed
A Cork man has been jailed for nine years for the attempted rape and repeated sexual assault of his step-daughter.
Reginald Arnold (56) tied the 14-year-old girl to a bed using a belt before sexually assaulting her, the Central Criminal Court heard.
Last month a jury found Arnold, of Michael Fitzgerald Road, Togher, Cork, guilty of four counts of sexually assaulting and one count of attempted rape of Joanne Crowley at his home between April 2008 and August 2010.
After a four day trial the jury also found him guilty of restricting the personal liberty of a child for sexual exploitation.
Arnold had pleaded not guilty to all charges. A not guilty verdict was directed by the judge on three other charges of sexual assault.
Timothy O’Leary SC said that his client maintains his innocence. Thomas Creed SC, prosecuting, said that Ms Crowley wishes to waive her right to anonymity.
Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy said that there was no remorse shown by Arnold. He suspended the last two years of an eleven year prison term on condition that Arnold comply with the instructions of the Probation Services.
Garda Rory O’Connell said that the abuse began when the girl was aged 12 and Arnold touched her private parts after handing her a ten euro note and telling her to be a good girl.
On another occasion they were watching TV together and he took his trousers and underwear off and forced her to masturbate him.
He attempted to rape her in 2009, when she was aged 14, after telling her “I’m going to ride you”. He ended the attack when he heard two knocks at the front door.
Gda O’Connell said during an attack the following year Arnold went into the Ms Crowley’s bedroom and took a belt from her wardrobe and tied her wrists with it. He pulled her arms up over her head and pulled her clothes and underwear down.
The garda said he then sat looking at her for five minutes before untying her hands and leaving. The court heard the girl was “particularly terrified” during this incident.
The garda added that Arnold would sexually assault Ms Crowley “any time he got a chance” by molesting her when he thought no-one was looking.
In a victim impact report read into court the girl said she still suffers from nightmares that her attacker will come back to get her and hurt her family.
She said: “I find it very hard to be around men. I do not trust men, I have no confidence in myself. I was always such a happy child. I will never get over what happened to me, this will stay with me forever.
“I get nightmares he will come back to get me and hurt my family. He has totally destroyed my belief in myself
“I was only a child and he was a monster to me. I will never get over this.”
Arnold has had an alcohol abuse problem since an early age. He has previous convictions going back to the 1970’s including burglaries and assaults.
