Three-and-a-half years in jail for sexually assaulting nine-year-old girl

A MAN found guilty of twice sexually assaulting a nine-year-old girl has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.

Edward White, now 64, told a sentencing hearing today (December 8, 2025) that he did not accept the verdict of the jury which convicted him in October of two counts of sexually assaulting a girl on dates unknown between April 28, 2018 and July 3, 2019.

In a victim impact statement which she read herself at the hearing in Tullamore Circuit Court the girl, now aged 16, spoke of how she had been left hurting, confused and afraid by the abuse.

“When I was nine years old I was subjected to abuse by an adult I trusted. My innocence and sense of safety was taken away from me,” she said.

She said the abuse made it difficult for her to trust others who care about her and who she cares about and she often felt guarded and unsure.

Her school life was affected, as was her concentration, confidence and ability to feel like a normal teenager.

She thanked the court for giving her a chance to be heard and recognising how the abuse had affected her.

Shane Geraghty, BL, prosecuting, said the maximum sentence available to the court was 14 years and the DPP had assessed Mr White's offending at the mid-range.

Judge Sinead McMullan said she assessed the offending at the lower end of the mid-range and set the headline sentence at four years.

Judge McMullan said the age disparity of nearly 48 years was an aggravating factor in sentencing, as was the fact the offences occurred in the victim's own home where she should have felt safe.

“She's clearly a very capable and articulate young woman but clearly the offence affected her and continues to affect her,” said the judge.

She said the offence was not a one-off, but had been committed twice in a short space of time and she viewed threats made to the girl's family by the man as very serious.

READ NEXT: IFA defends deal on water pipe running through Offaly

The court had heard that Mr White told the girl he would do “bad things” to other members of her family if she told them what he had done.

The incidents, which involved the man putting his hand down her pyjamas bottoms and touching her private parts, were both brief, lasting between a few seconds and a minute, but the touching continued despite the girl asking the man to stop.

The victim told gardai in her statement that Mr White told her what he was doing was “normal” and “nice”.

The judge said mitigating factors in sentencing were the man's age, the absence of any previous convictions and his health difficulties.

Aislinn Finnegan, BL, defending, said Mr White had unstable angina, a spinal injury from an accident which required the ongoing use of analgesics, tinnitus, and urinary tract issues which were benign but debilitating.

Judge McMullan said the sentence being imposed was three-and-a-half years after mitigation for both offences, both sentences to be served concurrently.

She said no portion of it was going to be suspended because rehabilitation was not a factor in circumstances where Mr White had not accepted the verdict of the jury.

The court heard the man had befriended the victim's father and occasionally stayed in the family home when he was carrying out work there.

The assaults took place on two mornings when the victim was asked to go into the man's bedroom where she would sit on his lap.

The girl told gardai what was happening was scary and though she was terrified of the man she was afraid to shout out loud because he said he would do bad things to her family.

Mr White, who had an address at a camp site in Dublin, denied the allegations when he was questioned and suggested lies were being told.

During the sentencing hearing Ms Finnegan said she had “very clear” instructions from her client that he wished to address the court.

Judge McMullan said that was “unusual” but he had a right to do so. Mr Geraghty said the victim would be remaining in court while Mr White spoke.

He recalled that he had not given evidence during the trial because he thought that he could prove my innocence without taking the witness box but “in hindsight that was probably a mistake”.

He said the case was much more nuanced than was being presented in court and claimed the “narrative” from the victim and her family was “one lie after another” and “monstrous and outrageous lies”.

Judge McMullan interrupted Mr White and told him he had been convicted by a jury and that it may not be in his best interest to continue in that vein.

She reminded him that the victim and her family were in court and asked if he wanted to “take a moment”.

Mr White, who was reading from a prepared statement, said “not at all” and said he would summarise what he was going to say.

He said he could not accept the jury's verdict. “There is a horrendous miscarriage of justice here,” he said. “Horrendous with a capital H.”

The judge told him that while he was entitled to his view, there had to be a balance between him addressing her and the fact that other people were in court.

Asked by Judge McMullan if there was anything about himself he wished to bring to the court's attention, Mr White said the medical evidence was that he was “extremely unwell” and any incarceration would have a seriously detrimental effect on his health.

He recalled Mr Geraghty asking the jury to use their common sense during the trial and he asked for a “little bit of that” to be used on this occasion too.

Mr White had been on bail while he awaited sentencing so none of it was backdated.

Ms Finnegan indicated that the sentence will be appealed.