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Tom Humphries: Guilty of child abuse

  • 26-06-2017 11:20pm
    #1
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,610 ✭✭✭✭


    The former Irish Times sportwriter pleaded guilty to grooming a young child who was a friend of his daughters. He had naked pics of the child on his phone who found it and showed it to her mother who called the Gardai.

    Its hard to believe his initial arrest (and the media blackout of naming him) has been ongoing since 2011. But here we are 6 years later and he has admitted his guilt. Sentencing to take place next month.

    A great writer in his day but heres hoping he gets locked up for a long time for what he did to that poor girl.


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Comments

  • #2
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users Posts: 19,802 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    He name was leaked almost immediately


  • #3
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    He was a brilliant writer.

    But meh, it's irrelevant now. That's obscene and depraved. In fact his place in Irish society and his fame should see an extended sentence because the power imbalance was even more pronounced.


  • #4
    Tigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    suicide_circus wrote: »
    He name was leaked almost immediately

    What age was she ?
    Some sources are saying 14 some 15
    That's young enough that I hope he rots in prison


  • #5
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,381 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Tigger wrote: »
    What age was she ?

    Irish times says "young teens" at the time


  • #6
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,381 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Jaysus
    https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/we-must-bite-the-bullet-on-abuse-1.136280


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  • #7
    Tigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    Irish times says "young teens" at the time

    Yeah I had a quick google 14 and 15 are mentioned elsewhere so probably just turned 15
    The law is the law but the younger the worse in my opinion
    Also she was a gaa player so he was in a position of power basically


  • #8
    Tigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    Jaysus
    https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/we-must-bite-the-bullet-on-abuse-1.136280

    That will be taken down soon I'd say
    Any of ye young people know how to operate the twitter machine !?


  • #9
    Arghus
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭Arghus


    colm_mcm wrote: »
    Jaysus
    https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/we-must-bite-the-bullet-on-abuse-1.136280

    Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.


  • #10
    Tigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    Arghus wrote: »
    Irony can be pretty ironic sometimes.

    Strikes me he though everyone was doing it so he'd have a go


  • #11
    RandomName2
    Registered Users Posts: 5,565 ✭✭✭RandomName2


    Tigger wrote: »
    What age was she ?
    Some sources are saying 14 some 15
    That's young enough that I hope he rots in prison

    Just curious, do you feel the same way about Emanuel Macron's wife?


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  • #12
    vicwatson
    Registered Users Posts: 28,403 ✭✭✭✭vicwatson


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    The former Irish Times sportwriter pleaded guilty to grooming a young child who was a friend of his daughters. He had naked pics of the child on his phone who found it and showed it to her mother who called the Gardai.

    Its hard to believe his initial arrest (and the media blackout of naming him) has been ongoing since 2011. But here we are 6 years later and he has admitted his guilt. Sentencing to take place next month.

    A great writer in his day but heres hoping he gets locked up for a long time for what he did to that poor girl.

    Indeed, Today fm wouldn't even mention his name at 10.00 bulletin this morning, when it was already publicised widely:rolleyes:


  • #13
    colm_mcm
    Registered Users Posts: 73,381 ✭✭✭✭colm_mcm


    Tigger wrote: »
    That will be taken down soon I'd say
    Any of ye young people know how to operate the twitter machine !?

    IMG_0188.png
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    IMG_0190.png
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    IMG_0192.png


  • #14
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,091 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    Sweet Jesus lads will I get the firelighters and some stakes.


  • #15
    The Rape of Lucretia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,440 ✭✭✭The Rape of Lucretia


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Sweet Jesus lads will I get the firelighters and some stakes.

    Barbecue weather is over man.


  • #16
    maudgonner
    Registered Users Posts: 5,455 ✭✭✭maudgonner


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    Sweet Jesus lads will I get the firelighters and some stakes.

    What a strange comment. Do you think he's being persecuted?


  • #17
    drunkmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 28,091 ✭✭✭✭drunkmonkey


    maudgonner wrote: »
    What a strange comment. Do you think he's being persecuted?

    No but he doesn't deserve to rot to death, he made a mistake. We call it abuse but it's perfectly legal in France and very close to it an hour from Dublin. I think calling it child abuse is a bit of a stretch, I didn't read anywhere she was forced. American Beauty springs to mind. I think he was a bored idiot. Maybe there's more that I missed.


  • #18
    nelly17
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭nelly17


    One things for sure that article is how I will remember him for the rest of my days - and not in a good way


  • #19
    riffmongous
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,624 Mod ✭✭✭✭riffmongous


    I'm a bit confused, is there a source on 'young teens' or 'young child'. Both are bad of course, but there is a difference there,he would technically not be a paedo if she was a teenager.


  • #20
    eviltwin
    Registered Users Posts: 17,495 ✭✭✭✭eviltwin


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    No but he doesn't deserve to rot to death, he made a mistake. We call it abuse but it's perfectly legal in France and very close to it an hour from Dublin. I think calling it child abuse is a bit of a stretch, I didn't read anywhere she was forced. American Beauty springs to mind. I think he was a bored idiot. Maybe there's more that I missed.

    14/15 isn't a child but its still a young teen, at that age you are emotionally immature. We don't know the history here, was he blackmailing her to send photos or was he coercing her and she thought she was in love but either way he's abused that girl and his family and he deserves to go to prison for it. Boredom doesn't come into it, he could have found anyone over the age of consent to have fun with.


  • #21
    nelly17
    Registered Users Posts: 1,210 ✭✭✭nelly17


    riffmongous wrote: »
    I'm a bit confused, is there a source on 'young teens' or 'young child'. Both are bad of course, but there is a difference there,he would technically not be a paedo if she was a teenager.

    But the law doesn't see it that way so 'technically' he is or am I missing something?


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  • #22
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    No but he doesn't deserve to rot to death, he made a mistake. We call it abuse but it's perfectly legal in France and very close to it an hour from Dublin. I think calling it child abuse is a bit of a stretch, I didn't read anywhere she was forced. American Beauty springs to mind. I think he was a bored idiot. Maybe there's more that I missed.

    There are so many genuinely concerning statements in this post that it's hard to believe you're serious.

    I don't think he should rot, but he is a middle aged+ man who preyed on a child and subjected them to repeated abuse. The child didn't have to be held down and threatened at knifepoint to feel powerless in the face of this adult abusing them. It doesn't mean they weren't forced.

    Calling it a mistake made by a bored idiot is just incredibly minimizing, and really really dismissive of the life changing effects this kind of abuse can have on a victim.

    Oh, and those countries with low consent ages are mostly so that children who experiment with other children aren't criminalized for it, it's not to protect predatory adults.

    Pretty sickening stuff, really.


  • #23
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    drunkmonkey wrote: »
    No but he doesn't deserve to rot to death, he made a mistake. We call it abuse but it's perfectly legal in France and very close to it an hour from Dublin. I think calling it child abuse is a bit of a stretch, I didn't read anywhere she was forced. American Beauty springs to mind. I think he was a bored idiot. Maybe there's more that I missed.

    Why didnt he fcuk off to france and do it so??


    In reality is any different to the messing muslims over in england got upto??


  • #24
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,113 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    It's an area of change, no doubt. Viewed in the broader, as my son said today, a lot of the 70's famous and revered names would have had relationships with many teenage girls, certainly under 16.

    I think child paedo is a different category.


  • #25
    BelovedAunt
    Closed Accounts Posts: 803 ✭✭✭BelovedAunt


    nelly17 wrote: »
    But the law doesn't see it that way so 'technically' he is or am I missing something?

    A paedophile is attracted to prepubescent children. If she was 14 or 15 she was already well into puberty, so technically he isn't a paedophile.


  • #26
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    eviltwin wrote: »
    14/15 isn't a child but its still a young teen, at that age you are emotionally immature.


    I was definitely a child at 14/15, no question. I was not equipped to deal with a predatory adult in any way and I wasn't precocious as is sometimes assumed with teen girls in these situations.


  • #27
    tomwaterford
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,768 ✭✭✭✭tomwaterford


    Water John wrote: »
    It's an area of change, no doubt. Viewed in the broader, as my son said today, a lot of the 70's famous and revered names would have had relationships with many teenage girls, certainly under 16.

    I think child paedo is a different category.

    Tbh if it was middle aged next door neighbour abusing my younger cousins like this


    I wouldnt be using the actics of jimmy saville to justify it


  • #28
    Water John
    Registered Users Posts: 21,113 ✭✭✭✭Water John


    Totally accept what you say Candie. It isn't paedo though, it is a sexual crime of an adult on a minor.

    BTW, I'm not referring to JS but what are still revered musicians etc.


  • #29
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Water John wrote: »
    It's an area of change, no doubt. Viewed in the broader, as my son said today, a lot of the 70's famous and revered names would have had relationships with many teenage girls, certainly under 16.

    I think child paedo is a different category.

    That would have been better phrased if you'd said 'A lot of the '70's famous and revered names exploited many teenage girls'

    Adults don't have 'relationships' with teenagers, they exploit the emotional immaturity and inexperience of them to take advantage.

    And teenagers are still kids. There isn't a magic switch that makes the power imbalance okay the moment a kid turns 16 or 17. At best, it's sleazy and at worse it's plain, old, commonplace child abuse.


  • #30
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 26,052 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Water John wrote: »
    Totally accept what you say Candie. It isn't paedo though, it is a sexual crime of an adult on a minor.

    BTW, I'm not referring to JS but what are still revered musicians etc.

    I didn't refer to him as a pedo. He is a child abuser.


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  • #31
    humberklog
    Moderators, Music Moderators Posts: 10,401 Mod ✭✭✭✭humberklog


    At one point in this story a 2nd girl was mentioned but that case was dropped. The parents didn't want to proceed apparently.


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