A Cork couple have been charged in the US with abducting their nine-year-old grandson from his home last July, writes Seán O'Driscoll in New York.
A grand jury at Lake County, Illinois, indicted Ethel and Timothy Blake on a charge of aggravated kidnapping for taking their grandson, Dylan, from his mother's home at the Winthrop Harbor township on July 22nd last.
The couple took Dylan back to their home in Cork, saying they did not want their grandchild to be influenced by his stepfather, who is in the US military.
Last week US authorities began proceedings to have the couple extradited from Ireland, where they are still living with Dylan.
If they do volunteer to go to the US, they will have to pay a $2 million bond to be allowed to return to Ireland.
The couple face six to 30 years in prison if convicted.
They took Dylan from the home of Mr Blake's daughter, Ms Serena Benwell, after allegedly giving their passports to their daughter as a guarantee and then fleeing the country using second passports.
Dylan had been living in Illinois with his mother and five siblings.
Ms Benwell has alleged in a police complaint that the couple had tried to take her son twice before.