In 2019, the Offender Database reported that Bill Kenneally, then 68, formerly of Summerville Avenue, Waterford, appeared before Waterford District Court facing 171 additional charges of sexual assault against three boys. Bill Kenneally, a former basketball coach and political tallyman, had already been sentenced in 2016 to over 14 years in prison for the abuse of ten other victims during the 1980s.
The court heard that Bill Kenneally utilised a consistent and predatory modus operandi to groom boys aged between 12 and 16. He exploited his position of authority in sports to impress and befriend his victims, buying their silence with gifts of cash and high-value sports gear, including kits from major football clubs like Manchester United and Liverpool. He further manipulated the boys by taking them on day trips away from their families to facilitate the abuse.
During the assaults, Bill Kenneally subjected the teenagers to degrading acts, including stripping them and forcing them to engage in sexual activity. In several instances, he used handcuffs and blindfolds to terrorise further and control the youngsters. To ensure “insurance against disclosure,” he took photographs of the boys in semi-naked states, using the images as a form of blackmail to prevent them from telling anyone what had happened.
Inspector Siobhan Keating provided evidence of the new charges following a directive from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a trial on indictment. Judge Kevin Staunton adjourned the case to allow for the preparation of the book of evidence. Bill Kenneally, who remains one of Ireland’s most notorious serial sex offenders, continues to serve his existing 14-year sentence while awaiting trial for these additional 171 counts of child sexual abuse.
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