Stephen Maguire
A man in Ireland has gone on trial facing charges arising out of an alleged sexual 'truth or dare' game with his daughters.
The man, who is in his 40s, faces a total of 34 charges of sexual exploitation, sexual assault and child cruelty. The man appeared at Donegal Circuit Court in a trial that is expected to last four days.
The accused has pleaded not guilty to all the charges when they were read out to him. The man cannot be named to protect the alleged victims.
The alleged offences took place between June 20th, 2011 and September 30th, 2015.
The man is accused of a number of offences under various acts. The alleged victims were aged between 13 and 14 years and also 14 and 15 years old at the time of the alleged incidents.
Many of the allegations centre around alleged games of 'truth or dare' which it is claimed were of a sexual nature.
The man is accused of giving the children alcohol and asking them about their sexual behaviour.
He is also accused of encouraging them to run around naked and also spraying them with water in a paddling pool while in their underwear.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800 77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/, or visit Rape Crisis Help.
In the case of an emergency, always dial 999/112.