Man receives 22-month jail term for grooming and assault of 13-year-old

In a case heard at Ennis Circuit Court, Ryce Clohess, 23, was convicted of grooming and sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl after communicating with her on Snapchat. The judge, Francis Comerford, imposed a 28-month custodial term, suspending the final six months, after considering Clohess’s plea to two sexual-assault charges and one ICT-exploitation count. Evidence showed Clohess sent sexual videos to the girl, coaxed her into sending nude photos, and physically assaulted her in Vandeleur woodlands in June 2023.

Garda Conor Flaherty of the Clare Divisional Protective Services Unit testified about the grooming process and the assaults. The victim’s statement described lasting mental-health harm, and the court noted the seriousness of child sexual abuse. Clohess had no prior convictions aside from minor traffic offences.