Man charged over abduction attempt

A man who was arrested in relation to the attempted abduction of a teenage girl in Co Offaly last week is due to appear in Athlone…

A man who was arrested in relation to the attempted abduction of a teenage girl in Co Offaly last week is due to appear in Athlone District Court this afternoon.

The 42-year-old man was arrested in the Tramore area of Co Waterford yesterday and taken to Tullamore Garda station for questioning.

The suspect - who is believed to be originally from the Athlone area in Co Westmeath - is being detained under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

Gardaí from Birr and Tullamore issued an appeal and launched a major investigation following the attempted abduction.

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The 13-year-old girl was cycling to a friend’s house when she was approached by a man driving a white van on a rural road near Ferbane at 8.30pm on July 19th.

Having asked the girl for directions, the man opened the rear door of his van and attempted to drag her inside. A brief struggle ensued before the teenager escaped to a neighbour’s house and gardaí were alerted.

The incident occurred at the townland of Moyclare on the road to Clonlyon, off the Ferbane to Belmont Road about two kilometres outside Ferbane.

A day later gardaí issued a description of the suspect. He was described as middle aged, small in stature, with dark hair and wearing glasses.