Victim recognised sex offender during Late Late Show appeal for cancer society

RTÉ News​

14-05-2025

A sex offender who was jailed for two years yesterday for indecently assaulting three boys in Dublin was recognised by one of the victims when he appeared on television, dressed in daffodils, as part of a fundraiser for the Irish Cancer Society.
In a statement, the Irish Cancer Society said that 70-year-old James Gilleran, of Parkview Court, Blackhorse Avenue, Cabra in Dublin 7, would not have had unsupervised access to children or vulnerable people during his fundraising role.
He was recognised by one of his victims when he appeared on the Late Late Show in 2021 in his capacity as a volunteer for the society's Daffodil Day campaign.
That man then contacted another complainant following the television appearance and a third complainant also then came forward.
Gilleran had been a scout leader of 117th Francis Street Scout Group during the 1980s and the boys were aged between 11 and 13 when the abuse, which primarily involved inappropriate touching took place.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that records from Scouting Ireland were obtained as part of this investigation.
Gilleran pleaded guilty to five counts of indecent assault on dates between 1983 and 1987.
Gilleran also has one previous conviction for the sexual assault of a boy in a cerebral palsy clinic and he had been handed a four year sentence in 1997, which was reduced to two years on appeal.
The Irish Cancer Society said it was not aware of this previous conviction, until the court reporting this week.
In a statement, it said it "was shocked to learn that someone who fundraised for the society perpetrated such crimes" and it commended the victims for pursuing justice.
It said the society was contacted after the Late Late Show in 2021 and made aware of the allegations against Gilleran.
It said it then took action by promptly reporting these allegations to An Garda Síochána, Tusla and Scouting Ireland.
"Mr Gilleran was stepped down as a fundraising volunteer and has not volunteered for us since," the statement said.
It added that his work with the Irish Cancer Society related solely to fundraising in public places and media work.
"At no point would he have had unsupervised access to children or vulnerable people in such a role. Fundraising and media volunteers are not garda vetted as their work does not meet the criteria for vetting with the National Garda Vetting Bureau."
The three men, who waived their anonymity in this case so that Gilleran could be named, made formal complaints to gardaí that Gilleran had sexually abused them while he was a scout leader almost 40 years.
The injured party who recognised Gilleran on television, Rory Patchell - said in his impact statement that he suppressed his memory of the abuse until he saw Gilleran "lauded on TV".
He told the court: "James Gilleran, I stand here as a survivor supported by my wife, children and loving family, you have nothing."
Another injured party, Stephen Devlin - described Gilleran as a "pied piper cycling around the Liberties" who presented himself as a "role model".
The third injured party - Greg Stafford, said he was an innocent child who was taken advantage of and Gilleran's actions had had a lifelong impact on him.
'Gross violation of children'
Imposing sentence yesterday, Judge Orla Crowe said Gilleran's offending constituted a "gross violation of children".
"It constituted a gross violation of their bodily integrity, their innocence, happiness, trust, childhood, their peace of mind," the judge said.
"They were children. They were small, innocent."
She noted Gilleran had subjected them to "predatory behaviour", including exposing them to alcohol and pornography.
"The impact is still felt to this day by these injured parties," the judge said.
Taking into account a number of mitigating factors, she sentenced Gilleran to two years' imprisonment.
Detective Garda Richard Mostyn of Divisional Protective Services Unit in Kevin Street Garda Station told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Gilleran was a scout leader of the 117th Francis Street Scout Group between 1983 and 1987. He also worked at that time as a sacristan in the White Friar Street Church.
Reading his victim impact statement, Mr Patchell said Gilleran "groomed and sexually abused me as a boy". He said Gilleran stole part of his childhood and adulthood.
He said he lived with the crime and suppressed the memories. He also outlined the effects on his mental health.
The second victim, Mr Devlin, was at Gilleran's then-home in Sundrive Park, Kimmage when the scout leader indecently assaulted him. He was given a glass of cider while at the flat.
Gilleran also asked the boy to touch his penis, but the boy refused.
Mr Devlin described in his victim impact statement how he had trusted Gilleran and believed him to be a "figure of safety".
He said Gilleran "fooled" him as he was a child, but also fooled parents.
He said Gilleran was a "grown man in a position of trust who lured me into his web and took advantage of me", adding that his childhood innocence was lost as a result.
He said he developed a mistrust of authority figures and the fear of betrayal lingered.
He said his mother had believed in the "integrity of scouting" and then had to live with "the burden that she was deceived and her only son abused".
'Crying, confused and lost'
Gilleran brought the third boy, Mr Stafford, to the cinema, then to his home at Sundrive Park. He gave the then 11-year-old a can of beer and pornographic magazines to look at. Gilleran put on the TV, then indecently assaulted the boy.
During the abuse, Gilleran told the boy, "it's okay, all lads do this". The boy pushed Gilleran away, and went to leave, but the door was locked. He told Gilleran he wanted to go, and the scout leader left the boy at the bus stop.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Stafford said he was left at a bus stop after the abuse "crying, confused and lost".
He said the abuse has had a lifelong effect on him and outlined suffering with nightmares, flashbacks and other mental health issues.
Mr Stafford said his mother "blamed herself" as she'd let him go that day thinking he would have a good time. He said it "broke her heart" for the rest of her life, and she was still apologising to him during one of their last conversations when he told her neither of them were at fault.
The court heard Gilleran wrote letters of apology to the men, who have indicated they do not wish to receive them.