Fear paedophile ring may have abused others

GARDAÍ fear the paedophile ring suspected of abusing a 14-year-old boy may have abused other children.

Garda sources also said there was “some uncertainty” over the laws dealing with the soliciting of children for sexual acts.

Detectives expected to interview more people in relation to the case in addition to the four men they have already questioned.

It was confirmed yesterday that one of the four is an official in the Chief State’s Solicitors Office, which is part of the attorney general’s department.

Justice Minister Michael McDowell said the official had been suspended. The other three men questioned are a probationary garda, a lecturer and a truck driver.

The official and the garda were questioned in connection with allegedly trying to contact the boy with the suspected intention of possibly meeting him for sexual purposes.

The other two men, both of whom have wives and children, were arrested and questioned for allegedly sexually abusing the child.

Detectives suspect there may be between six and 12 men involved in the ring.

These include men who attempted to contact the boy but failed, those who successfully contacted the boy with intent and those who actually met the boy and abused him.

Detectives now fear there might be other children who have been abused based on the information they have collected to date.

Garda sources also said there was “uncertainty” regarding the law on the soliciting of children for sexual offences. “The powers are kind of weak,” said a source.

“There’s no difficulty with those who sexually abused the child, but in relation to those who spoke to the boy on the telephone, or texted him, it isn’t clear. I think possibly the law is there.”

He said this would depend on what was said to the boy, what the boy took from it and what was the intent behind the message, etc.

Gardaí said the Director of Public Prosecutions would ultimately determine if a specific offence had been committed.

Mr McDowell said that he understood gardaí were “satisfied” they had plenty of separate offences to work with. The Labour party claimed there was a loophole in the law over soliciting after Mr McDowell repealed the offence in emergency legislation he rushed through the Dáil last year.

Garda sources said there was a “grey area” over their powers to arrest in cases of soliciting. This was not a problem where the suspects voluntarily agree to be interviewed, as has been the case with the garda and the official.

It is also understood that the Health Service Executive is in contact with the families of the two suspects who have been arrested.