A FORMER DONEGAL parish priest has pleaded guilty to a raft of sex abuse charges against a young boy.

Eamonn Crossan appeared at Donegal Circuit Court facing a total of 96 sex-related charges.

The 72-year-old was due to stand trial before a judge and jury.

However, just moments before a jury was due to be sworn in for his trial, Crossan’s legal team informed Judge John Aylmer there could be progress in the case.

After a short adjournment, it was indicated that Crossan was pleading guilty to a total of nine sample charges ranging from indecent assault to sexual assault.

All of the charges relate to the same victim and occurred at various locations in Donegal between various dates in the 1980s and 1990s.

Crossan is currently on remand in the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise for these charges

He previously served three years with the final 12 months suspended for similar offences after being jailed in February 2021.

Barrister for the State, Donal Keane BL, said the plea was acceptable as representative counts on a full facts basis.

The Letterkenny-born former cleric spoke to plead guilty to the charges when they were put to him by the court clerk. At one stage, Crossan attempted to address Judge Aylmer regarding one of the counts, but was instructed to cease by counsel.

Crossan pleaded guilty to two charges of sexual assault, contrary to Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990, relating to separate unknown dates between April-July 1991 and July-October 1992 at separate named locations.

He pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting the boy by touching his genitals and to another charge of sexually assaulting him by cuddling him and kissing him on the lips.

Crossan also pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault contrary to common law relating to incidents where he indecently assaulted the male by cuddling him and kissing him on the lips on dates in 1987, 1988 and 1990.

He also pleaded guilty to three other charges of indecent assault contrary to common law. On each of these counts, he was charged that, at an address in Donegal on unknown dates between March 1987 and March 1990, he did indecently assault a male by touching his genitals.

He was charged with another count of indecent assault contrary to common law at another address in Donegal on a date unknown between July 1990 and December 1990. On this count, he is charged that he did indecently assault a male by touching his genitals.

Dressed in a cream coat and black trousers, Crossan was brought to court by prison officers.

Barrister for Crossan, Colm Smyth SC, asked for the preparation of an updated probation report for his client and also asked that a Governor’s report and education report be sought from Midlands Prison.

Judge Aylmer agreed and asked that the updated Probation report include an assessment as to Crossan’s suitability for community service.

Crossan was remanded in custody until the next sitting of Donegal Circuit Court in March when he will be sentenced.

He has been in custody since February 2021 after he was sentenced to three years in jail with the final 12 months suspended for similar charges against another victim before being remanded for these new charges.

His original sentence followed his guilty plea to a single charge of indecent assault against another 13-year-old boy at the parochial house in Kincasslagh on a date unknown between 1984 and 1985. At that time, he was placed on the sex offenders register for ten years.

During sentencing the court had heard how the abuse of the boy took place at the Parochial House in Kincasslagh after Crossan gave his victim Smithwicks and also whiskey.

The victim said he remembered waking up naked in the bed with the priest next to him naked and he remembered that he was sexually assaulted.

Crossan was a priest in the Raphoe Diocese from 1976, but when a complaint was made to the Church in 1998 he was immediately laicised.