THE MAN WHO admitted to raping two young girls in Athlone last September is to be sentenced at the Central Criminal Court later today.

The accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has pleaded guilty to charges of rape.

The 30-year-old has been on remand at Castlerea Prison since October 2013. He has appeared on numerous occasions at Harristown District Court but all rape sentencing hearings occur in the Central Criminal Court in Dublin.

The charges include three counts of raping one girl and two of raping a second girl.

The victims, aged six and nine years old, were at a birthday party in the Westmeath town when they were lured away to a nearby house where the offences occurred.

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Read: Three men held over alleged sexual assault of children in Athlone>

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