Journalist to stand trial next year on 50 counts of sexual offences

A journalist facing 50 counts of sexual offences against two teenage girls will go on trial next summer.

The 51-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, has been remanded on continuing bail, with a trial now set to begin on July 13th next and expected to last for around two weeks.

When it was suggested in discussion between Judge Mary Ellen Ring and legal representatives for the DPP and the accused at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the trial might take place next December, Judge Ring said such a delay would be unacceptable.

She pointed out the case was sent forward for trial last April and that a realistic timetable needed to be fixed for the proceedings.

Sarah Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, told Judge Ring the trial was likely to take two weeks.

She said there was on-going communication between the defence and prosecution in relation to what she termed as “a large volume of disclosure”. She sought permission to re-mention the case should there be any issues surrounding the disclosure.

Shane Costelloe SC, prosecuting, asked Judge Ring to make “the usual witness and exhibit orders”. He said should there be any remaining disclosure issues they could be dealt with at the pre-trial hearing in June.

Judge Ring remanded the man on continuing bail, first for a pre-trial hearing for June 5th next and then for a trial on July 13th next.

Of the 50 charges facing the accused, some seven relate to alleged sexual acts with a female child under the age of 17 years on dates in 2011.

A further three charges relate to the alleged sexual assault of a female in the car park of the Clarion Hotel at Dublin Airport, in Croke Park, Dublin, and in Letterkenny, Co Donegal.

Those three alleged offences occurred in April, May and June 2007.

A further 40 charges relate to sexually-based child exploitation.

They include “inviting, inducing or coercing” a child into the production of pornography on unknown dates between December 2008 and March 2011, contrary to the Child Trafficking Act 1998.

Other charges relate to allegations the accused “invited, induced or coerced” a child “to engage or participate in a sexual, indecent or obscene act” in March 2011 contrary to the Child Trafficking Act 1998.