A man, Craig O’Connell, 26, has been sentenced to jail for coercing a teenage girl into having sex by claiming she owed him money for a drug debt. O’Connell falsely portrayed himself as a member of a criminal gang and accused the girl of informing on him, threatening violence if she didn’t comply. He recorded the sexual act and extorted money and items from the girl, totaling €11,555. O’Connell pleaded guilty to rape and making threats against the girl and her former boyfriend. He received an 11-year sentence for rape and a concurrent six-year term for making threats. The judge highlighted O’Connell’s exploitation of trust and manipulation of the victims through deceitful tactics. The victims, a girl and a boy, shared the lasting impact of O’Connell’s actions, with the girl expressing ongoing trauma and the boy battling addiction and trust issues. O’Connell was also ordered to undergo sex offender treatment and post-release supervision for two years.