A top Irish sports reporter has been charged with 50 counts of sexual abuse on a female – including one attack at the country’s premier sporting venue.
The 50-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is alleged to have abused the female at Croke Park, the national headquarters of the Gaelic Athletic Association.
He was arrested this morning at his home in Dublin and taken to Ballymun Garda Station before appearing at Dublin District Court.
Appearing in court this morning the man was charged with 40 counts of sexually exploiting a female child, including inviting, inducing or coercing her to engage in the production of pornography between December 2008 and March 2011.
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He also faces another 10 counts of sexually assaulting a female in a hotel car park near Dublin Airport on March 2007.
He was also charged with sexually assaulting a female in Letterkenny, Co Donegal in April 2007.
The man was also accused of one further count of engaging in a sexual act with a child in December 2010 in north Dublin.
Garda Jarlath Burke said when the defendant was charged at 9.02am this morning, he made no reply.
Judge Cormac Dunne granted bail on a number of conditions.
The defendant was ordered to hand over a personal bond of €500, an independent surety of €2,000 euro and has to sign on at Ballymun Garda station every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
He also has to surrender his passport.
There was no objection to bail and the court was told the accused will make an application for legal aid at a subsequent hearing.
The defendant was ordered to appear again before the court on 29 April when the prosecution will present the book of evidence.
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