[SIZE=5]A PROMINENT sports journalist is expected to face more than 50 charges early this week arising out of a lengthy garda investigation into claims that he sexually abused a child.[/SIZE]
The man is due to appear in Dublin District Court on a range of offences arising from an alleged inappropriate relationship with a young girl.
The charges include alleged sexual assault on a young girl and defilement and exploitation through sending text messages to her.
The move follows a garda investigation that was launched in March 2011 after the man’s daughter found text messages to the girl on a phone she had been given by her father.
The girl was given the phone as she was collecting old mobiles for a charity. It is alleged his daughter found the texts as well as photographs of the young girl, who was a camogie player, while putting a new SIM card into the phone.
His daughter showed the texts to other members of her family and they alerted the gardai, who took possession of the phone.
Gardai carried out a detailed interview with the girl with whom he was alleged to have been in the inappropriate relationship.
She gave them her account of her relationship with him in the months leading up to the discovery of the texts.
Investigating officers had to delay their interview with the journalist as he was admitted to hospital and placed under psychiatric care.
He was eventually arrested by gardai in September 2012 and taken to Ballymun garda station, on the northside of Dublin, where he was questioned by officers about the allegations and then released without charge.
The arrest was carried out after detectives had been given the go-ahead by medical experts.
Gardai then prepared a detailed file for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Following a review of the file, the DPP recommended that the large number of charges be brought against the journalist.
In April 2011, shortly after the alleged relationship with the under-age camogie player, St Vincent’s GAA football and camogie club, based in Marino on the northside of the capital, issued a statement in which it distanced itself from the sports journalist.
The journalist had been a member of the club and a mentor to an underage team until September 2011 but had not mentored another team since then.
While the garda investigation was under way, a fresh complaint was made against the journalist by a girl from another GAA club.
Neither of the girls involved in the allegations against him was a member of St Vincent’s club.
Tom Brady, Security Editor
Irish Independent
Why is he not being named in any reports about this? I actually think that’s a good thing as I think it’s unfair that suspects be named as they will always be associated with it, even if they are proved innocent (who amongst us will ever be able to watch Bill Roach strutting his stuff on Coronation Street without thinking you dirty bastard) but it’s strange that this journalist never gets named in any report. Is it just an oath of secrecy in Irish media circles?
He was named by the Sunday World nearly 2 years ago iirc.
Almost 3 years since the story broke and we’re still no closer to finding out who the journalist is.
what name did they mention?
menacing words…
to protect the victim - even if convicted may not be named unless victim waives right to anonymity
But I really want to know who the journalist is!
A vile cunt that’s who he is.
The information is in the hidden part of the site I believe.
The same place where the video of Zeebs felching Murray is?
No - same place as your facebook page
:rolleyes:
Painfully weak.
a “good gga man” thats who he is
Thanks art
Some Mulcair fella
Sorry TUM but youre wrong there. The anoniminity is always there for the complainant with a right to waive. The anoniminity for the defendant usually comes into play in circumstances where the complainant would be identifiable by naming the defendant e,g father/daughter or boyfriend/ex girlfriends.
Youll be able to see this week when its listed before the courts: if hes named on the lists then the media were giving him an easy ride. If its not named in full then the victim may be identifiable
I somehow don’t think so.
Fucking hell Thraw! Again while fully condemning this and he is (allegedly) a dirty bugger, in many European countries it seems it would not have even been a crime.