Gardaí investigating Tusla employee for child porn possession

Gardaí are to send a file to the DPP after arresting and questioning a Tusla social worker involved in child protection in connection with possession of child pornography on his home computer.

The man, who is in 30s, was investigated by gardaí following receipt of information early last year from a foreign police force about a number of people downloading child pornography in Ireland.

Gardaí obtained a number of search warrants and officers from the Protective Services Unit carried out a number of searches around the country and seized a number of computers.

Officers from the newly established Regional Protective Services Unit based at Anglesea Street Garda Station in Cork carried out a raid on the man's house in the Munster area.

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They seized the man’s home computer and it was sent for analysis by Garda cyber experts in Dublin before the man was arrested by officers from the Cork Protective Services Unit last October.

Child protection

The man was detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act which allows gardaí detain suspects for up to 24 hours and he was questioned for several hours before being released.

Gardaí are legally required to notify Tusla of any incidents relating to child protection and the information was conveyed to the agency regarding their own social worker employee.

Contacted by The Irish Times, a Tusla spokeswoman confirmed that they had been notified of the matter by An Garda Síochána and immediately implemented the appropriate protocols.

The Tusla spokeswoman confirmed the man no longer worked for the agency but declined to comment further. It is understood the man resigned from the agency after gardaí reported him.

It is understood the man was investigated as part of Garda Operation Tudor but a Garda Press Office spokeswoman declined to give details for operational reasons.