Noel Brendan Cooney, of Springwell Gardens, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for what Judge Markey described as a "course of intensive sexual abuse on six or seven children over a number of years".

He was also placed on the sex offenders register for life and would "not be next to or near children" on his release.

Cooney pleaded guilty to a total of 37 sex offences, including three of the rape of one girl, the indecent assault and gross indecency involving a boy and four girls over a five year period from October 1989 to July 1993.

Indeed Judge Patrick Markey remarked Cooney had only entered his guilty plea to the rape charges as one of his victims was called to the stand.

The offences, he said, had not been an accident but had been quite deliberate on Cooney’s part. A prosecution barrister outlining the offences said they had come to light in 2006 when two of his victims came forward in January. Further victims came forward within a three day period during June of that year.

The boy had complained he had been the subject of abuse. Cooney had been a family friend and the child had regarded him in this way.

On one occasion he touched the child in the thigh area and showed him a pornographic magazine. The child said Cooney had also exposed himself to him.

The prosecuting barrister said the child had to attend a psychiatrist because of the way he had been treated at the hands of the accused.

A young girl said she had visited his house and he had given her cigarettes and alcohol. While at his house Cooney had rubbed his hand up her leg, she screamed and cried.

The prosecution said on one specific charge Cooney had told the child not to tell his wife.

The child had not reported the matter because she was afraid of being blamed for drinking alcohol.

In another incident Cooney invited a child to his house where he asked her what games she played. He played truth or dare and exposed himself.

Cooney’s defence barrister said his client now led a solitary lifestyle and described him as a loner.

As a result of the offences Cooney, he said, had lost contact with his wife, brothers and sisters. He only has limited contact with his daughters – and in the eventuality of grandchildren social services would play a "proper and broad role" in contact.

The barrister said in all but the three counts of rape he had pleaded guilty to the charges.

The judge remarked the three pleas to rape had come "not just at the 11th but the 59th minute of the 11th hour".

The defence admitted factors against Cooney were the multiplicity of victims, the breach of his position of trust and there was also an element of grooming.