Jeffrey Donaldson, a former political leader in Northern Ireland, was found guilty on Monday of 18 counts of child sex abuse, including one count of rape, according to the BBC.
Mr. Donaldson, 63, was found guilty after a weekslong jury trial at Newry Crown Court, south of Belfast.
The verdict concluded a case that stunned the small territory, where Mr. Donaldson has held outsize political sway for decades. A former leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and a key supporter of Northern Ireland’s union with the United Kingdom, Mr. Donaldson rose to prominence during the decades of sectarian strife in Northern Ireland known as the Troubles.
He was the longest-serving member of Parliament in Northern Ireland before abruptly stepping down amid a police investigation in 2024.
The charges involved allegations that Mr. Donaldson had sexually abused two victims between 1985 and 2000.
Mr. Donaldson was charged in March 2024 with child sex offenses and stepped down from his post as party leader a short time later. In a statement posted to its website at the time, the party said it was suspending Mr. Donaldson after he confirmed that he had been charged with “allegations of a historical nature.” (The statement appears to have been subsequently removed from the site.)
The jury also found that Mr. Donaldson’s wife, Eleanor Donaldson, had aided and abetted her husband’s abuse. Mrs. Donaldson, who had been charged alongside her husband, was found unfit to stand trial earlier this year.
Both Mr. and Mrs. Donaldson had pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to the BBC, Mr. Donaldson sat emotionless as the verdict was read out in court on Monday. He was remanded into custody and will be sentenced later this year.
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