‘BREACH OF TRUST’ | 

Face of Irish dancing teacher jailed for sex attacks on teen over five years

Roddy, who was well-known for many years within Irish dancing circles in Northern Ireland, was convicted of seven offences

Thu 26 Jan 2023 at 13:42

This is the Irish dancing teacher from Derry who has been jailed for six years for sexual assaulting a child.

John Gerard Roddy, who is 63 years-old, was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court last week.

Roddy, who was well-known for many years within Irish dancing circles in Northern Ireland, was convicted of seven offences, including sexual activity with a child between the ages of 13 and 16.

He was also found guilty of four charges of indecent assault on his victim which took place outside the UK.

The remaining offences were indecent assault and sexual assault.

The sick crimes, which were all committed on the same young victim, took place on dates unknown between 2007 and 2012.

As well as six years behind bars, Roddy, with an address at Daly Crescent in Derry, will also serve three years on license after he is released from prison.

He will be placed on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely and will be subjected to a Sexual Offence Prevention Order (SOPO) for ten years.

A SOPO is a court order that can be requested by the police or court when there is a specific concern about an individual.

The court order can be requested to prevent a person from engaging in a particular activity.

It is common for a person who is convicted of online sexual offenses relating to children, to be subject to a SOPO.

Examples of conditions set by the order include not being allowed to visit places where it is likely there will be many children.

A SOPO can also limited an offender’s access to the internet.

Investigating officers have praised the courage of Roddy’s victim in coming forward with details of his horrific ordeal.

Constable Jason McMorris said: “Roddy breached his position of trust in the victim’s life, coercing and manipulating him.

“He took what should have been carefree, happy, teenage years away from him. No person, let alone a child, should ever be exploited in this heinous way.

“The victim showed immense courage and bravery to report these crimes to us, which have had a lasting impact on him for many years.”

Constable McMorris said he hoped the case would encourage other abuse victims to contact the police.

“I hope that his strength and confidence in the police to conduct a thorough investigation encourages other victims of child abuse to come forward and report.

“We take a robust stance against targeting sex offenders, particularly those who target and abuse children, and will work tirelessly to get take these people off our streets.

“Time is no barrier to reporting offences and I would urge anyone who has been victim of a sexual offence at any time to come forward. Do not suffer in silence. Call 101 or 999 in case of emergency.”