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Boxing coach jailed for child abuse

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Convicted pedophile Frank Mulligan has been jailed for six and a half years
A former Irish boxing coach who raped and sexually abused five teenage boys has been jailed for six and a half years.

Convicted pedophile Frank Mulligan, who once coached former world champion Barry McGuigan, preyed on his young victims for a 13-year period until 2002.

The 64-year-old, from Smithboro in Co Monaghan, is already behind bars after being sentenced for seven years for abusing two other boys last year.

The court heard the boxing coach made some of his victims pray before and after the sex attacks and told them it was God's will.

Judge Catherine Delhunt said Mulligan abused the faith put in him by young boys and their families.

"You tried to hide these heinous crimes with a veil of religion," she said.

Outside Dublin's Four Courts one of his first victims, Gerard Smyth, who waived his anonymity to encourage others to come forward, said he could now move on with his life.

"I had to do something because it was destroying my life and destroying people's lives around me," he said.

"Me coming forward helped other people to come out, which is good.

"It helps other people to deal with their problems."

Mr Smyth said he could now close a chapter of his life and start a new beginning and get his life back together again.

"All I can do is move on," he continued.

"He's no chance of harming or abusing any other children or adolescents."

© Press Association

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At 19:39 on 01 December 2009, norman wrote:
My wife works with kids in a nursery voluntarily and has forms to fill for criminal checks. This is not working when we have evil people slipping through these checks. What this man done to these young boys in the name of god it was in satans name, he should have paid for his evil deeds. This society has turned away from god and satan is taking hold.
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