*Jim Harmon.
SCOUTING Ireland has apologised to the five victims of ‘prolific paedophile’ and former scout leader, Jim Harmon (80).
Last Wednesday at Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Francis Comerford jailed the ex-adult Limerick Scout Leader to six years and eight months in prison for molesting five young boys, all scouts, in the 1970s and early 1980s.
Addressing the five complainants in court – all now men in their 50s – Judge Comerford said that they have been “denied justice for a very, very long time”.
Harmon of Pinewood, Shannon was aged 33 to 38 during the period of the indecent assaults and the counts of indecent assaults took place at Cratloe in south east Clare, Holy Island on Lough Derg, Garryowen, Limerick and the Ennis Rd, Limerick.
In the case, Mr Harmon -who turns 81 in May – had pleaded guilty to 12 separate counts of indecent assault against the five boys from 1976 to 1981.
In a statement, Scouting Ireland stated that it “welcomes the successful prosecution and conviction in the courts of Jim Harmon”.
It added, “Our thoughts are with the survivors whose bravery led to Jim Harmon’s conviction”.
The statement added, “Scouting Ireland has publicly apologised to all survivors of historic sexual abuse in our organisation, and we do so again to those hurt by Mr Harmon”.
However, Scouting Ireland would not be drawn on the local scouting organisation in Limerick not informing Gardai of sex abuse allegations against Mr Harmon it had received from a parent of a victim in 1981.
In his sentencing, Judge Comerford noted that one of the five informed his mother that Jim Harmon who lived in the Garryowen area of Limerick at the time of his offending – had indecently assaulted him in 1981 while in the scouts.
The boy’s mother in turn informed local scouting authorities who took action against Mr Harmon and dismissed him from his senior scouting role in 1982.
Judge Comerford said that “it didn’t go any further” and Gardaí were not informed at the time by the scouting authorities or Mr Harmon’s offending.
In its statement, Scouting Ireland continued, “We have learnt from the failings of the past and we put the safety of the young and the vulnerable above all else. We can reassure you of our safeguarding procedures”.
The organisation stated that “we fully cooperate with any investigations by the relevant authorities on safeguarding matters, and we did so in this prosecution of Jim Harmon”.
The agent stated that “we have a fully professional safeguarding team, and our safeguarding procedures are independently reviewed to ensure they are best in class”.
It added that it is the policy and requirement of Scouting Ireland that no adult participates in scouting activities until their Garda vetting has been approved and they have completed the appropriate safeguarding training.
Describing Harmon as a “prolific paedophile” in court, one of the five told the court that “this predator used a position of trust to deceive parents and their children to repeatedly molest vulnerable young boys with no regard for the impact his actions had on his many young victims”.
The man said that he is thankful for the decent life he has achieved “despite the devious efforts of Jim Harmon to destroy my innocence for his now perverted pleasure”.
Counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly BL (instructed by State Solicitor, Aisling Casey) said that in the 1970s Mr Harmon was well respected in Limerick scouting circle and had the trust of families to bring their boys away on overnight camping trips.
One of the five, Ruairi Hickey (54) told Gardai that Harmon molested him when he was 9 or 10 while the two played chess on a scouting trip to Holy Island in Co Clare.
Two other boys were on the same scouting trip and in his victim impact statement, Mr Hickey – originally from Limerick’s North Circular Rd – said, “I remember seeing the other two walking away and being powerless, knowing and dreading what was to come”.
Mr Hickey also recalled another scout visit with Harmon to O’Brien’s Estate, Cratloe, Co Clare where Harmon lined up the boys present in their underpants and measured their bodies with a soft measuring tape.
The only one of the five to waive his anonymity, Mr Hickey said that Harmon measured him from his inner thigh to his hip, brushing against his genitals.
Mr Hickey said that Harmon’s abuse was regular.
Harmon was Leader of the 2nd Limerick Troop and another victim said on camping trips, Jim Harmon “told scouts that they weren’t allowed to wear underpants under their pyjamas”.
He said at night, Mr Harmon would come into the tent at night and put his hands into their pyjamas.
Sgt Niall Donovan of Roxboro Garda Station Limerick, told the court that Harmon has one previous conviction in 2017 at Waterford Circuit Court for indecent assault of a young boy scout in 1976 where he received a suspended one year and three months.
Sgt Donovan said that Harmon married a widowed woman in 1994 and was step-father to her five children. He said that the couple took in a six year old under a foster care arrangements with the HSE. Mr Harmon’s wife died in 2000.
Sgt Donovan said that Mr Harmon worked as ground crew for the RAF from 1960 to 1973 and worked with now defunct semi-state agency, Shannon Development from 1973 to 2003 where he had a number of roles including Euro Information Officer.
