Sexual assault case against comedian Al Porter is dropped

Comedian Al Porter has walked free from court after a charge for sexually assaulting a young man at a Dublin venue was dropped on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old, who had been charged under his real name, Alan Kavanagh, had denied the allegations.

The former Today FM broadcaster and Blind Date host faced his third hearing at Dublin District Court on Wednesday which heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions was withdrawing the case. He had been accused of a sexual assault in 2016 in Dublin.

Judge John Hughes acceded to an application from media organisations to change an order made by another judge in August which had prevented journalists from naming the entertainer, as well as the location and date featured on the charge sheet.

He accepted that nothing must be published that would lead to the identification of the former complainant.

He held that the Mr Kavanagh, who is from Tallaght but has an address in Ballsbridge in Dublin, could be named but the location and date of the charge should not be published or transmitted.