Man remanded in custody after being charged with contacting child in Donegal

The Director of Public Prosecutions has still not given its decision in the case of a man charged with trying to communicate with a child for sexual purposes in Donegal.

The accused man, who is in his 20s, appeared by videolink at Letterkenny District Court, from Castlerea Prison where he is being held. It follows allegations against him which were widely shared on social media.

The court previously heard how the man used both Snapchat and WhatsApp to communicate with someone who he thought was a 13-year-old child. The man cannot be named for legal reasons.

When arrested, he was found in possession of five condoms while “other sexual paraphernalia” was found in a property.

Messages found on his phone allegedly claim how he asked the ‘girl’ if she was a virgin and if they could have sex in an apartment he had rented.

He was charged on July 16 that between July 10, 2025 and July 15, 2025, both dates inclusive, within the State, he did by means of information and communication technology, namely Snapchat and WhatsApp, communicate with another person for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 17.

Sergeant Collins previously told the court that detectives had obtained copies of conversations between the accused man and what was described as “a fictional child”, who he believed was 13 years of age on Snapchat and WhatsApp.

The man, with an address in the Dublin area, had booked an apartment in Letterkenny for a number of days. Gardaí also seized other items and documents from the man’s vehicle. Sergeant Collins said there were concerns the defendant would attempt to flee the jurisdiction.

He said there were also concerns that, if released on bail, the man could commit further offences of a similar nature. The man has no previous convictions and has never been before the court on other matters.

The man’s solicitor, Rory O’Brien, told the court his client has a first-class honours degree from an Irish university. Until recently, he was in active employment, but is now unemployed. At the sitting of the court before Judge Brendan O'Reilly, Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle said directions from the DPP had still not been received.

He added it was the state's application to request a two-week remand until August 21. Mr O'Brien also requested that personal items taken from him during his arrest, such as reading glasses, be returned to him. Sergeant Doyle said he would apply to have the items returned and the case was adjourned.

Judge O'Reilly ordered that a publication order in the case remain in place. Under a new law introduced in 2024, people charged with such offences are entitled to anonymity until they are convicted or the restriction is otherwise lifted by a court.