A convicted sex offender was caught with a child he had previously sexually assaulted in a car just four days after getting a suspended sentence for abusing another child, a Dublin court has heard.
Kevin Brazil (52) sexually assaulted the boy while taking him on drives in his car. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard he gave the boy money when he met with him, as well as cigarettes and alcohol, and on one occasion invited the boy to sleep in his home.
The Court also heard that Brazil received a three year suspended sentence in July 2020 for offences of sexual assault dating back to 2002.
Brazil, with an address at Wainsfort Manor Grove, Terenure, Dublin, pleaded guilty to sexual assault at an unknown location in the state between 1 January 2019 and 2 August 2020. He also pleaded guilty to communicating by way of technology with a child for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of the child at an unknown location between 2 January 2019 and 21 July 2020.
The serial sex offender has 33 previous convictions, including a conviction for sexual assault in France dating back to the 1990′s and convictions for sexually assaulting children in Ireland in the early 2000s. The victims in all matters were between nine and 14 years old, the court heard.
Detective Garda Mick McGrath told Antonia Boyle BL, prosecuting, that on 21 July 2020, he observed Brazil making a number of dangerous manoeuvres while driving and signalled for the car to stop. A then 13-year-old boy was inside the car with Brazil at the time.
Detective Garda McGrath said gardaí enquired about the nature of the 52-year-old’s relationship with the child. The mother of the child then made contact with gardaí three days later; she informed that her son had made disclosures including allegations of a sexual nature.
The boy first came into contact with Brazil by chance after he rang his phone number by mistake. He started going on drives with Brazil along with one of his friends, with Brazil collecting them after calling him on the phone, the Court heard.
Brazil would give the boy money when they met, as well as cigarettes and sometimes alcoholic drinks. On one occasion he gave the boy €70 and credit for his phone.
While on the drives Brazil would bring up blowjobs and cocaine. He told the boy that he would pay people to give him blowjobs.
During one meeting, Brazil told the boy he would give him €700 if the boy gave him a blowjob. When the boy said no, Brazil asked how much he was worth and the boy said “millions”.
The Court heard that on several occassions in the car, Brazil would touch the child’s leg, tickling him near his thigh, but the boy would push him away. The sex offender told the boy not to tell anyone that he was in the car with him. Once, Brazil invited the child to his home and told him not to tell his parents, but to tell them he was staying over with friends. Brazil wanted the boy to sleep in his room with him, but the child decided to sleep in a separate room.
While in this room, the boy noticed a teddy bear with one red eye sitting on the dressing table, which he put face down on the floor because it freaked him out. A while later Brazil came into the room and asked him if he did not like the teddy.
The boy only slept for an hour and Brazil gave him a lift home the next day. On the last occasion when he met with Brazil, the child had been in the car with his friend who was dropped home shortly before the car was stopped by gardaí.
The court heard that there were no victim impact statements before the court.
Detective Garda McGrath agreed with Patrick Gageby SC, defending, that the victim was always accompanied by his friend when out driving with Brazil. He agreed that although the occasion where the victim stayed in Brazil’s house “reeks of suspicion”, there was no assault on that occasion.
The detective agreed with counsel that before his client was convicted in 2020 he was working in a supermarket, but that this employment stopped when that conviction became known.
The defence argued it would seem the more serious events were a bit closer to the victim turning 14. He said they “are wrong at any time”, but this might be a matter of some very small assistance to the court.
Counsel submitted that it could be said that due to the good work of gardaí this matter was “nipped in the bud”. He said he “will yield” to the fact that giving children money, cigarettes and drink is something that should never have happened.
He said that in the summer of 2020 his client appeared to be taking the right path and desisting, but unfortunately it appears now that was by no means the case.
Judge Elma Sheahan remanded Brazil in custody and adjourned the matter for finalisation to 26 April next and legal proceedings are ongoing.