Case against judge on child porn charge adjourned

A SOLICITOR acting for a Circuit Court judge who has been charged with possessing child pornography yesterday said he did not accept the validity of any acts taken in the case so far.

The case against Judge Brian Curtin, aged 51, was adjourned by Judge Carroll Moran at the Circuit Court, in Tralee, to the same court on November 11. Dressed in a dark grey pinstripe suit, blue shirt and gold tie, Judge Curtin stood by the wall in the public gallery among other defendants, litigants and jury panellists as he waited for the case to be called.

Judge Curtin had practised as a leading barrister in the same courtroom for many years prior to his appointment to the bench.

He is charged with knowingly possessing child pornography, under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 at his home, 24 Árd na Lí, Tralee, on May 27 last year.

His home was among more than 100 premises raided by gardaí under Operation Amethyst, in May 2002. The raids arose from an investigation into the downloading of child pornography from the internet.

Yesterday’s hearing lasted little more than a minute, with solicitor Catherine Ervine, from the State prosecutor’s office, stating that both she and solicitor Robert Pierse, for Judge Curtin, were making a joint application for an adjournment.

She also said Mr Pierse wished to inspect a number of exhibits and arrangements were being made for him to do that.

It was the first time the case came before the Circuit Court, but it had been before the District Court on three occasions.