Man faces trial for sending porn clips to Fine Gael TD

A Co Limerick man accused of sending Fine Gael politician Jennifer Carroll MacNeill sexually explicit videos via Facebook has been sent forward for trial.

Gerard Culhane (43), with an address at Marian Place, Glin, is charged with harassing the Dún Laoghaire TD between January 13th and March 26th, 2020.

Det Sgt Rachel Kilpatrick served him with a book of evidence when he appeared at Dún Laoghaire District Court on Wednsday

State solicitor Niamh McKernan informed Judge Ann Watkin that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) consented to Mr Culhane being returned for trial on indictment.

Judge Watkin granted the trial order sending him forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on January 27th.

Mr Culhane, who remained silent during the hearing, has not yet indicated how he will plead. Mr Culhane, who is unemployed, was granted legal aid.

Outlining the allegations at a previous hearing in August, Det Sgt Kilpatrick had said 19 communications were sent via the Facebook messenger app.

They included three videos of “sexually explicit content” featuring a male masturbating. Pictures of the complainant, which had already been in the public domain, were also sent. There were also 14 text messages with general conversation about upcoming events in her life “and emojis and kisses”.

Det Sgt Kilpatrick said the complainant was a public representative, and they were not known to each other personally.

Judge Watkin said it would have been relatively harmless but for the videos.

Cross-examined by Mr Crowley, Det Sgt Kilpatrick agreed the clips were not of the defendant but came from a porn website. However, she alleged Mr Culhane suggested that “they were of the defendant himself”.

Judge Watkin said it would have been horrific and frightening for the complainant. “I think if someone were to receive that, it is not just upsetting, it is the fear what a person might do; I think the fear it created would have been huge.”