The former treasurer of Crossmaglen Rangers GAA club, Thomas John McCann, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for his ‘predatory campaign’ against young boys. McCann was once a respected member of the community and a trusted figure in the GAA club, but his actions have now earned him a lengthy prison sentence. The case highlights the importance of safeguarding measures in organisations that work closely with children and young people.
Former treasurer of Crossmaglen Rangers GAA club, Thomas McKenna, has been sentenced to 16 years in prison for his role in a “predatory campaign” of sex crimes against young boys dating back three decades. The 62-year-old former postman, assessed as a danger to the public, pleaded guilty to 162 sex offences, including indecent assaults, sexual assaults, gross indecency offences, and voyeurism of males aged from 12 to 26 between 1988 and 2018. He had told some younger boys that what was happening to them was part of team-building within the club, and made promises about them being promoted to senior teams. The campaign of “sexual violence and abuse” began to be revealed in 2018 after the parents of a teenage player at the club contacted the chairman and reported covert filming by his abuser. An investigation followed, with other victims coming forward, sparking a “tsunami of sexual complaints”.
Judge Patricia Smyth, who sentenced McKenna, described his comment that after choosing a victim “if it worked out, fine. If not, I’d go to the next one” as “chilling”. She told the defendant he had “targeted boys and young men – 23 in total – manipulating them to the point where they felt utterly powerless and unable to disclose what you had done. The psychological harm you have inflicted is immeasurable. There is no sentence that this court can pass that will repair that damage.”
McKenna “recruited” his victims to help him with his duties as a postman, and paid them up to £30. Some of his victims were plied with alcohol. Offences were also committed in the credit union, in the GAA club, in pubs and hotels, in toilets both in Northern Ireland and in the Republic, in his own home, and the homes of some of his victims. McKenna will spend a further seven years on supervised licence on his release from custody, and has been placed on the sex offenders register for life.
Following the sentencing, Kerry Brennan of the PSNI said: “Thomas McKenna was a respected and influential member of the Crossmaglen community, who used his positions of trust to gain access to young males to carry out the litany of abuse as outlined in court today.” The victims in this case released a joint statement saying: “We want to thank the Police Service for the empathy and swiftness in which they dealt with the crimes committed against us from when they were first informed almost five years ago… And most importantly, to ensure this individual will never be a part of our community again. While there were many difficult days as we relived the crimes committed against us, we as a group are immensely proud of the strength, dignity and unity we’ve displayed throughout this process to get the justice we deserve and ensure that the pain and suffering inflicted upon us will not be felt by another generation in our community.”
Eamonn McMahon of Crossmaglen Rangers said: “Crossmaglen Rangers, and GAA president Larry McCarthy, wish to state that this conviction was only possible because of the courage and determination of those individuals who reported their concerns. Your actions have made our club and community safe. And for this we owe you a huge debt of gratitude.”
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