CORK, IRELAND: A 77-year-old man charged with sexually assaulting a four-year-old girl on five occasions in 2022 has been sent forward for trial. The case will proceed to the next sitting of Cork Circuit Criminal Court on October 28th.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was initially arrested at his home in July and charged with the alleged offences. He is facing five counts of sexual assault for incidents that are said to have occurred between January and May 2022.
During a recent hearing at Cork District Court, Sergeant John Dineen confirmed that the accused had been served with a book of evidence. The defense solicitor, Frank Buttimer, applied for and was granted an extension of free legal aid to cover the cost of appointing a defense counsel, noting that the accused is on a state pension. Judge Mary Dorgan then issued an alibi warning before sending the case forward. The man was remanded on bail and is required to appear before the Circuit Court in October.
The bail conditions are strict, stipulating that the accused must have no direct or indirect contact with the injured party or any of the witnesses. He must also reside at his home address, sign on every day at his local Garda station, and be contactable by Gardaí around the clock. He was also ordered to surrender his passport and is prohibited from applying for new travel documents.
