Sexual predator with extensive convictions sentenced for attack on schoolgirl in Wales

SEXUAL PREDATOR WITH EXTENSIVE CONVICTIONS SENTENCED FOR ATTACK ON SCHOOLGIRL IN WALES

A man described as a "sexual predator" lured a young girl into his vehicle and drove her to a well-known park, where he offered her cocaine before sexually assaulting her.

Police located Matthew O'Donoghue hours after the incident, and he claimed that the girl was maliciously accusing him.

He asserted that he had been in a stable 12-year relationship and had no reason to offend against anyone.

O'Donoghue’s criminal past includes convictions for indecency and attempted rape in the United States, as well as a conviction for sexually-motivated kidnapping of a woman outside a nightclub in Swansea.

The judge highlighted his dangerousness and sentenced him to seven years in total, comprising four years of imprisonment plus a three-year license period.

The court labeled him a "sexual predator," referencing his history of serious sexual crimes in both the US and the UK, including a 2005 kidnapping in Swansea and a 1993-94 conviction in Maryland for indecency and attempted rape.

The judge remarked that his actions were "tantamount to child abduction" and deemed him a dangerous offender, underscoring the threat he poses to the public.

The case brings attention to his troubling criminal record and the court’s measures intended to prevent future harm, such as a sexual offence prevention order banning him from approaching unaccompanied females.