CSA File Sent To DPP (Éire)

GARDAÍ investigating the multiple sexual abuse of a 14-year-old boy expect to send a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions in the next few weeks.

Detectives have made significant progress and expect to be in the position to recommended that serious charges be brought.

Gardaí have so far interviewed five people: a trainee garda, a State law officer, a scout leader, a lecturer and a maintenance worker.

The maintenance worker, aged in his 40s and from south Dublin, was the most recent man interviewed. He was questioned last Wednesday.

The garda and the law clerk are suspected of making sexual approaches to the child, but are not under investigation for sexually assaulting the child.

They voluntarily agreed to be questioned by detectives.

The other three men, some of whom have wives and children, are suspected of engaging in sexual activity with the minor.

They were formally arrested by gardaí. Officers believe they have enough evidence against these men to support a prosecution.

The multiple abuse emerged over a fortnight ago when the child’s mother saw sexually explicit text messages on his mobile phone. The men made contact with the boy, now aged 15, after he left messages on a gay internet site for adults.

While initial garda inquiries suggested the men may have formed a “loose paedophile ring”, subsequent developments indicate there was no ring in place. “It depends on how you define a ring, but they were not a group who agreed or conspired to collectively to target the boy,” said a garda.

However, gardaí believe some of the men may have known each other, or at least knew of each other’s existence, and that they may have passed the boy’s mobile number on to other people.

Despite some uncertainty over the law on soliciting a child, gardaí believe there are offences for the possible prosecution of the trainee garda and the law clerk.

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