Priest Pleads Guilty to Sexual Assault

By Barry Roche
Irish Times
February 4, 2013

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0204/breaking65.html

A Dominican priest has been remanded for sentencing after he pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a juvenile at various locations in Munster around twenty years ago.

Fr Vincent Mercer (66), with an address at the Black Abbey, Kilkenny, pleaded guilty to 15 sample counts from a total of 39 charges when he was arraigned at Cork Circuit Criminal this afternoon.

The charges relate to the sexual assault of the juvenile, who was aged between 11 and 17 at the time, on various dates between January 1st 1989 and February 22nd, 1994.

The offences happened at a house in Cork city, a location in Co Limerick, a location in Co Cork and at a number of unknown locations.

Judge Sean O Donnabhain remanded Mercer, who is out of ministry but remains a member of the Dominican Order, on bail for sentence on February 22nd, 2013.