ERIK THOMAS SHOCKS DUBLIN WITH SEXUAL ASSAULT ON TWO 11-YEAR-OLDS IN WICKLOW

In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Dublin community, Eric Thomas, aged 35, was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday after being found guilty of sexually assaulting two young boys, both aged 11, in a disturbing incident that took place in Dublin on August 23, 2007. Thomas, a resident of Blackhall Street in Dublin 7, had a troubling criminal history, including previous convictions related to sexual offenses, which added gravity to his latest crimes.

During the proceedings at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Desmond Hogan delivered the sentence, choosing to suspend the final year of imprisonment. Additionally, he ordered that Thomas be registered as a sex offender for a period of ten years. This decision came after it was revealed that Thomas had previously been on the sex offenders' register from August 2003 until December 2009, following an earlier conviction for sexually assaulting a nine-year-old boy.

The court was informed that Thomas's criminal record includes a total of eleven convictions. Notably, in the year 2000, he was convicted of sexually assaulting a boy and seriously assaulting another individual, which resulted in a combined sentence of five years served in consecutive terms. These past convictions underscored the seriousness of his criminal behavior and the potential risk he posed to the community.

As part of his sentence, Judge Hogan mandated that Thomas participate in a sex offenders' treatment program upon his release. The judge also emphasized the importance of supervision, stating that Thomas should be monitored by the probation service