Paedophile priest Oliver O’Grady will be almost 70 when he emerges from his latest stint in prison in, at most, three years.
It is every parents’ nightmare that men like him walk our streets at all.
O’Grady’s current sentence, into which he is just a few days, is for possession of a huge haul of images of child abuse, some involving infants as young as two, which he had hoarded away on computer files.
However, unlike many others who have passed through the courts for the stockpiling of such material, O’Grady has form for not just viewing the abuse but also perpetrating it against young victims.
The Limerick native served seven years for molesting two brothers while in the US. He later admitted to molesting as many as 25 children while a parish priest in California.
What is chilling and will instil even more fear and anger in parents is that O’Grady has admitted he is still a danger to children and that he is still aroused by them. He made that confession to a US filmmaker in 2005.
O’Grady’s current sentence, into which he is just a few days, is for possession of a huge haul of images of child abuse, some involving infants as young as two, which he had hoarded away on computer files.
However, unlike many others who have passed through the courts for the stockpiling of such material, O’Grady has form for not just viewing the abuse but also perpetrating it against young victims.
The Limerick native served seven years for molesting two brothers while in the US. He later admitted to molesting as many as 25 children while a parish priest in California.
What is chilling and will instil even more fear and anger in parents is that O’Grady has admitted he is still a danger to children and that he is still aroused by them. He made that confession to a US filmmaker in 2005.
The resultant documentary, Deliver Us From Evil, showed him leering at children in a Dublin playground. He described the production as "the most honest confession of my life".
The film featured a videotaped deposition as part of a lawsuit raised by some of his victims. During that, O’Grady described intricately how he would try to gain the children’s confidence.
The film featured a videotaped deposition as part of a lawsuit raised by some of his victims. During that, O’Grady described intricately how he would try to gain the children’s confidence.
He started off by hugging the child. "The hugging starts off and then I might just drop my hands, all the time looking for permission. If I wasn’t getting a resistance, that was allowing me to go further and further."
He even said that he did not think his victims liked being sexual with him but, at times, they tolerated it.
"If children were dressing or undressing after having a swim or something like that, there might be indications that I might interpret as a sort of flirtatious action," he said.
O’Grady returned to Ireland in 2001 after serving his seven-year sentence. For much of the past 11 years, even though he was on the sex offender’s register here, his exact location was not well known for much of the time. Initially he was understood to be living in the Mid-West.
He even said that he did not think his victims liked being sexual with him but, at times, they tolerated it.
"If children were dressing or undressing after having a swim or something like that, there might be indications that I might interpret as a sort of flirtatious action," he said.
O’Grady returned to Ireland in 2001 after serving his seven-year sentence. For much of the past 11 years, even though he was on the sex offender’s register here, his exact location was not well known for much of the time. Initially he was understood to be living in the Mid-West.
In 2007, it emerged he had moved to Phibsboro in Dublin.
Then reports emerged that he had moved to the Netherlands and was working as a Church volunteer in the city of Rotterdam.
He had been living under another name, but parishioners recognised him when Deliver Us from Evil was aired on Dutch television. In fact it was while returning to Dublin from the Netherlands in Feb 2010 that O’Grady’s perversion came to the attention of authorities once more.
After he left his laptop on the plane, it was put in the lost property department by staff.
Then reports emerged that he had moved to the Netherlands and was working as a Church volunteer in the city of Rotterdam.
He had been living under another name, but parishioners recognised him when Deliver Us from Evil was aired on Dutch television. In fact it was while returning to Dublin from the Netherlands in Feb 2010 that O’Grady’s perversion came to the attention of authorities once more.
After he left his laptop on the plane, it was put in the lost property department by staff.
Aer Lingus rules state that if lost property is not claimed within three months, the worker who found it is allowed to keep it.
When a staff member claimed possession of the computer and examined its contents they found the hundreds of shocking images of children being abused and called gardaí.
Officers went to the hostel where he was staying and he showed them to a locker containing several USB devices and an external hard drive.
Officers went to the hostel where he was staying and he showed them to a locker containing several USB devices and an external hard drive.
He also told them about more computer equipment in a storage facility in Tallaght. All the devices contained the illegal files.
News that he was back behind bars was greeted with relief by former victims and support groups in California, though some argued that, given the risk to children in the future, he should never be released.
As news of the sentencing broke there, Barbara Blaine, the president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, described O’Grady as "one of the most notorious serial child molesting Catholic clerics in California history".
"Oliver O’Grady sexually assaulted boys and girls in and around Stockton for years," she said.
"He clearly remains a danger to kids. We hope he’s put behind bars for the rest of his life."
Timeline of abuse and travels
* 1971: Limerick native Oliver O’Grady leaves seminary in Thurles and travels to the US where he takes up ministry at St Anne’s Church, California.
* 1976: Allegedly admits molesting a young girl he had met at a summer camp. Sends a letter of apology to the bishop for his actions.
* 1984: Tells his therapist he fondled a nine-year-old boy. The therapist alerts child welfare officials, and police open an investigation, but charges are dropped.
* 1993: O’Grady is convicted on four counts of lewd and lascivious acts on two brothers.
* 1998: A jury awards one of O’Grady’s victims $30m (€22.8m), which was later reduced to $7m.
* 2001: O’Grady returns to Ireland to live in the Mid-West.
* 2005: Gives a 15-hour videotape deposition of his actions, admitting he "groomed children".
* 2005: O’Grady meets with writer Amy Berg in Dublin to film "his most honest confession". Believed to be living in the West of the country.
* 2007: Moves to Phibsboro but is later tracked down to Rotterdam.
* Feb 2010: A laptop is found on an Aer Lingus flight from the Netherlands with images of child abuse.
* Jan 2011: O’Grady is sentenced to three years in prison.
As news of the sentencing broke there, Barbara Blaine, the president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, described O’Grady as "one of the most notorious serial child molesting Catholic clerics in California history".
"Oliver O’Grady sexually assaulted boys and girls in and around Stockton for years," she said.
"He clearly remains a danger to kids. We hope he’s put behind bars for the rest of his life."
Timeline of abuse and travels
* 1971: Limerick native Oliver O’Grady leaves seminary in Thurles and travels to the US where he takes up ministry at St Anne’s Church, California.
* 1976: Allegedly admits molesting a young girl he had met at a summer camp. Sends a letter of apology to the bishop for his actions.
* 1984: Tells his therapist he fondled a nine-year-old boy. The therapist alerts child welfare officials, and police open an investigation, but charges are dropped.
* 1993: O’Grady is convicted on four counts of lewd and lascivious acts on two brothers.
* 1998: A jury awards one of O’Grady’s victims $30m (€22.8m), which was later reduced to $7m.
* 2001: O’Grady returns to Ireland to live in the Mid-West.
* 2005: Gives a 15-hour videotape deposition of his actions, admitting he "groomed children".
* 2005: O’Grady meets with writer Amy Berg in Dublin to film "his most honest confession". Believed to be living in the West of the country.
* 2007: Moves to Phibsboro but is later tracked down to Rotterdam.
* Feb 2010: A laptop is found on an Aer Lingus flight from the Netherlands with images of child abuse.
* Jan 2011: O’Grady is sentenced to three years in prison.