Bail for West Cork man on Child Trafficking charge

A WEST Cork man was charged under the 1998 Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, at a district court sitting in Clonakilty last week.

Judge Mary Dorgan, who instructed the press not to identify the accused man, was informed by Sgt Kevin Long that the defendant had been arrested and charged by appointment, and had made no reply when cautioned.

Sgt Long said that the State had no objection to bail with conditions.

Colette McCarthy, the solicitor acting for the accused, informed the court that a bond of €10,000 was available to the court from the defendant’s family in lieu of bail.

Judge Dorgan said that if the gardaí were satisfied then she would agree to bail under the following conditions: that the accused would surrender his passport and any other national identity cards he may have, that he would remain within the jurisdiction and sign on between 9am and 9pm with gardaí every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

The accused will have no access to the internet or a mobile phone that can connect to the internet. He will give the gardaí a phone number where he can be contacted at all times, and the accused will have no unsupervised contact with persons under the age of 18.

Judge Dorgan also set a personal bond of €10,000 (no cash) on the defendant, and the court was presented with two cheques totalling €10,000 as a cash surety, which were lodged to the court by his family.

The accused was then released on bail pending a hearing date.