A 65-year old Co Waterford man who has pleased guilty to abusing three young girls in the 1980s is to be sentenced in November.
Bartholomew Prendergast from Dungarvan will be sentenced later this year after pleading guilty to charges of rape and sexual abuse.
The Courts of Criminal Justice heard evidence at the sentencing hearing of Prendergast, who last month pleaded guilty to 17 counts of rape and sexual abuse against three young girls in west Waterford.
The abuse happened when the girls were aged between nine and 15.
The court heard Prendergast worked for many years at Waterford County Council and is a well-known musician in the county.
Evidence was given that he abused Stephanie Hickey, now 46, Deirdre Fahey, now 52 and another woman.
The court was told that in Ms Hickey's case much of the abuse happened in the back of Prendergast's van, while Ms Fahey was abused when she was a teenager.
The abuse on the third woman started when she was nine.
In their victim impact statements, all three said the abuse had "seriously affected" and "ruined" their lives and Ms Hickey described Prendergast as a "monster".
A number of character references by friends and relatives of Prendergast were handed into the court and his counsel said there were mitigating factors, including the guilty plea.
However, there was no request for bail and Prendergast was remanded in custody to 26 November when he will be sentenced.
