Peter Mulryan

There was a number of boys involved.

who were interviewed.

I remember even interviewing another female victim.

These offences had taken place 15, 20 years earlier.

The fear that was in them was palpable.

Initially, there were seven victims, including Siobhan and Anne, who agreed to give statements, enough to bring Cook in for questioning in February 2000.

We subsequently arrested him one early morning.

I remember a nice bright spring morning.

Once he was interviewed, he was released, pinned in a file to the DPP.

Over the next two years, as he awaited trial, Cook spiraled out of control.

His third wife continued to give birth to more of his children as Gerry Kelly and the other Gardaí continued to work closely with local social services.

They had visited Cook House at several times.

He intimidated them and his master trick was to write to the Minister for Social Welfare.

He would also write long letters to the Minister for Justice.

These would be foolscap pages, probably nine or ten neatly handwritten pages.

And he would weave lies and truth.

By the summer of 2000, Eamon Cook was charged with multiple counts of buggery, indecent assault and unlawful carnal knowledge.

In total, over 120 sex abuse charges, all against children.

None of this, though, stopped Cook's menacing behaviour.

One of the anonymous tips he received via our webpage...