A MAN from Limerick City has been remanded in custody for sentence after pleading guilty to a string of child sexual offences before the courts.
The man, who presently cannot be identified by order of the courts, appeared before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court on Monday last (January 22) on a signed plea from Limerick District Court.
The defendant, aged in his 30s, has pleaded guilty to five separate charges, including possessing, producing, and distributing “child pornography”; communicating via information and communication technology to facilitate the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 17 years; and engaging in a sexual act with a child under the age of 15 years.
The five counts are contrary to Section 6 and Section 5 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998; Section 2 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006; and Section 8(1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017.
The man’s barrister told Judge Tom O’Donnell, presiding, that the defendant has been in custody on remand awaiting sentence and “he does understand that he will be spending a longer time in custody” after he is sentenced.
The court heard it was likely to be April before a probation report on the defendant would be available.
The man is currently on remand in the Midlands Prison, the court heard.
Judge O’Donnell told the man’s barrister that the man “will be given credit for any time spent in custody” when he is considering the duration of the man’s sentence.
The judge directed that a probation report be made available to the court ahead of a sentencing hearing.
The offences before the court were committed on or before New Year’s Eve 2020 at an address in Limerick City, according to the charges which the man has admitted to.
The man was remanded in continuing custody to appear before Limerick Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing evidence hearing later this year on April 11.
