Donegal man charged with 44 sexual offences to face Central Criminal Court

A Donegal man is to be sent forward to the Central Criminal Court charged with over 40 sexual offences.

The man was brought before Letterkenny District Court from the Midlands Prison in Portlaoise, where he is in custody on other charges.

The accused, who is in his 30s, cannot be named for legal reasons due to the nature of the charges. He was hit with a total of 44 new charges. 

He is charged with 10 counts of rape, contrary to section 48 of the Offences Against the Person Act, 1861 and section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) Act, 1981 as amended by section 21 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990.

He also faces 10 counts of rape contrary to section 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990 

He is also charged with 12 counts of sexual assault and 12 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

The charges relate to alleged offences on dates between 2020 and 2022 at locations within County Donegal.

Sat in the dock linked to a prison officer, the accused man did not speak during the brief hearing.

The man was charged by Detective Garda Donal Callaghan and Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed trial on indictment. 

The man will be sent forward to the Central Criminal Court at a later date.

Solicitor for the accused, Ms Catherine Boner, said ahead of was reserving her position on a bail application at this point as her client was in custody on another matter.

Judge Ciaran Liddy remanded the man in custody to a later date and said the solicitor could apply for legal counsel to be assigned at the return-for-trial stage.