Garda 'had been jailed for child sexual exploitation before'

A former Garda sergeant attempted to pay prostitutes to get children as young as five for sex a year after he had been released for a similar offence, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard.

Kieran O’Halloran (aged 48) offered two prostitutes up to €10,000 to source the children and asked one to organise "three or four children in a hotel room" for him to have sex with. He also asked one to get him a picture of a new-born baby with their genitals on view.