A notorious Donegal child abuser has been released from prison.
School caretaker Michael Ferry (pictured above on right) left a trail of destruction and broken lives behind him after abusing boys in West Donegal.
The 66-year-old got 14 years behind bars in 2011 after pleading guilty to dozens of sex attacks on young boys at an Irish language college in Gaoth Dobhair.
He pleaded guilty to 38 sample charges at Letterkenny Circuit Court, including 17 oral and anal rapes, 18 sex assaults, one indecent assault and two charges of production of child porn between 1990 and 2005.
Ferry had used his position at the Irish language school to groom boys for his twisted pleasure despite previously being convicted in 2002 and placed on the sex offenders’ register.
He has been released from the Midlands Prison, in Co. Laois, this week but his whereabouts are unknown.
Ferry was approached by the Sunday World newspaper as he left prison.
In reply to whether he regretted his actions, Ferry said: “Of course I do, why wouldn’t I?”
“I cannot turn back time, I cannot undo what I’ve done. I apologised for what I’ve done.”
His plans now are to “get on with my life the best that I can” and when asked if he was travelling back to Donegal, he added: “I’ll go where the authorities say.”
He referred to his decade behind bars as “not easy”.
One victim, Derek Mulligan, who spoke out after Ferry’s 2011 conviction said at the time he could not understand how Ferry got his school job back and continued to abuse him and others.
