Former Catholic Priest to Be Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Altar Boy in Co down
By John Cassidy
A disgraced former Catholic priest will learn next week if he is to serve any more time in custody after he admitted sexually a young altar boy at his family cottage in Co Down over 20 years ago. Reserving his decision today (Thursday) at Downpatrick Crown Court, Judge Piers Grant told Daniel Curran that he will pass sentence on Monday, March 23. Curran (64), of Bryansford Avenue, Newcastle, pleaded guilty to one count of gross indecency towards a male child and also admitted a single charge of indecent assault on the same victim. The offences took place between August 1990 and August 1993 at a cottage owned by his family in the seaside village of Tyrella, Co Down when the victim aged between seven and ten. Prosecution QC David McDowell told the court that the victim was a pupil of a primary school in north Belfast when he was aged around seven years old. "The victim says that Father Curran came to the school and asked the teacher if he wanted to become an alter and serve at St Paul's Church. He then started to go on trips with a number of other boys and they would have barbecues and also go to Castlewellan. He was flattered by the invitation to go on these trips.'' Mr McDowell said that Curran took the boys to a small family cottage in Tyrella, a small seaside village just a few miles outside of Downpatrick. "The victim describes that the house had one bedroom which had one massive bedroom and all the boys slept together in the bed with Fr Curran. "On this occasion there were three older boys with him and Fr Curran provided the older boys with cider and they in turn gave it to the complainant. Fr Curran was drinking the cider with them. "He later woke to find that Fr Curran had moved in the bed and Fr Curran was lying behind in a spoons position.'' The victim, who is now aged 31, told police that Curran then indecently assaulted him and forced him to sexually touch the paedophile priest. "The complainant said that he made an excuse that he needed the toilet, to which Fr Curran replied: 'You have been a good boy'. advertisement "He then went outside through the front door to go to the toilet in the rain. He described being cold, wet and crying but had nowhere else to go. "He got back into bed but there was no further touching. Fr Curran then drove them back home the next day.''
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