A Tipperary man who raped a 12-year-old boy after luring him down a lane will be sentenced next week.
The victim came forward to Gardai in 2014 in relation to the assaults which happened when he was 12.
Andrew Roche with an address in Nelson Street, Clonmel, pleaded guilty at the Central Criminal Court to raping the boy on a date between December 25, 2008 and March 17, 2009.
Garda Caroline O’Riordan told the court that the victim came forward to gardaí in 2014.
The young man told gardaí how when he was 12 years’ old a man lured him to a lane, telling him: “I want to show you something”.
Roche then forced himself on the boy and raped him – before letting his victim go, he warned him not to tell anybody what had happened.
The boy eventually confided in his mother five years later. A family member helped him identify Roche on social media and he went to gardaí.
Roche, who was 20 at the time of the attack, pleaded guilty shortly after his trial was due to start.
28 year old Roche, who has 41 previous convictions, including for theft, robbery, burglary and drug use, has been in custody on other matters since February 2016.
Mr Justice Paul Coffey remanded him in custody and will sentence him next Monday.
