STEPHEN ROGERS FROM DUBLIN SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS FOR KNIFE-RAPE IN SWORDS

In a harrowing case that has shocked the community of Dublin, Stephen Rogers, aged 22, has been sentenced to a decade behind bars for a brutal sexual assault that took place in Swords. The incident involved the use of a knife and was preceded by a disturbing online grooming scheme that targeted a 14-year-old girl.

According to court proceedings, Rogers had initially engaged the young girl in an internet chat room, where he posed as a 17-year-old named David. The conversation quickly turned intimate, with Rogers exchanging phone numbers with the girl and arranging to meet in person. The meeting was set in a secluded park in Swords, a suburb of Dublin, where Rogers lured the girl with the promise of a casual encounter.

Once at the park, Rogers began making sexual advances towards the girl. She expressed her discomfort and told him she did not wish to proceed further. Despite her protests, Rogers forcibly removed his trousers and compelled her to perform sexual acts on him. The situation escalated further when the girl resisted and struggled against him. In a terrifying turn, Rogers produced a kitchen knife, brandishing it threateningly and warning her, “Don’t panic or else I’ll use it on you.”

The assault was described as vicious and calculated. Rogers pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including rape, aggravated sexual assault, and the production of a knife during the attack. The court heard that the attack had a profound and lasting impact on the victim. In her victim impact statement, she revealed how the trauma had changed her life. She said, “I regularly wake up crying and I keep seeing his face in my head. It has taken so much out of me and my family think there’s something wrong with me because all I do is cry.”

Following the incident, the girl faced bullying at school, and her father expressed deep concern, stating that she had “lost her innocence.” Garda James Tracey provided evidence that Rogers had used an online alias to pose as a minor, which facilitated the grooming process. The court also heard that Rogers’s actions included threats with a knife, which contributed to the severity of his sentence.

Judge Paul Carney sentenced Rogers to ten years in prison for the rape and sexual assault. Additionally, he imposed a five-year sentence for the possession and use of the kitchen knife, which was to run concurrently with the primary sentence. The judge also declared Rogers a sex offender, emphasizing the gravity of his crimes and the lasting impact on the victim’s life.