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'I know her': trial hears celebrity's home searched by five gardai

Date
2023-10-12
Stage
Sentence
Primary locality
Dublin
County
Dublin

Summary

During a defilement trial, a 40‑year‑old Irish celebrity, whose name is withheld, pleaded not guilty to three counts of sexual acts with a child under 17, alleged to have occurred in Dublin between August and December 2010. The court heard that on 7 June 2021 Gardaí searched the defendant's home, seizing four Huawei and five iPhone devices. The defendant supplied the PINs for all nine phones, a fact the defence noted as helpful. An expert extracted data from eight of the nine phones; a hard drive containing 600 GB of data was disclosed to the defence in September, with further evidence provided that morning. A detective sergeant testified she learned of the allegations in March 2021, obtained a warrant in June 2021, and conducted the search without informing the judge of the defendant's profession. She confirmed the defendant was alone during the search and was told of the allegations.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'I know her': trial hears celebrity's home searched by five gardai. Charges or matters: three counts of engaging in sexual acts with a child under the age of 17 at locations in Dublin on dates between August and December 2010. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

Case subjects

Unnamed man

Defendant

Charges: three counts of engaging in sexual acts with a child under the age of 17 at locations in Dublin on dates between August and December 2010 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty

Outcome: The witness said the man replied: "I know her." The court also heard that gardaí took a DNA sample from the man on May 5 2022, during a period of detention.

Places mentioned

Secondary Mention
Court Venue
  • Dublin
  • Dublin Circuit Criminal Court

Topics

Stage Sentence

Related court reports

Read the original CNI report

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