Girl accused of downloading child sex abuse images unable to attend court for second time

Teenager could not attend on Tuesday due to medical reasons and she was being treated in hospital, court heard

Teenager is accused of possessing 348 images and 196 videos classified as category one, graphically featuring sexual activity.

A then 15-year-old girl accused of downloading videos and images of infants and young children raped and tortured was again unable to attend a court hearing on Tuesday.

The young woman, now 18, is charged with two offences under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.

She was due to appear at the Dublin Children's Court on Tuesday to be served with a book of evidence and sent for trial to a higher court.

She was unable to come to court last month on health grounds.

Defence solicitor Eoghan O'Sullivan explained the teenager could not attend again on Tuesday due to medical reasons and she was being treated in hospital.

She will be moved to a new care home when she gets discharged, and the local Garda superintendent will be notified.

Judge Paul Kelly adjourned the case for six weeks.

The court heard it was alleged the teen believed paedophilia was acceptable and that she could use the dark web, a specialised internet browser for hidden sites online.

She is accused of possessing 348 images and 196 videos classified as category one, graphically featuring sexual activity.

Gardaí also charged her with having 432 images assessed as category two, showing child exposure.

The investigation commenced after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children in the United States contacted Irish authorities in 2019.

Due to the volume and depravity of the material, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) recommended trial on indictment in the circuit court which has broader sentencing powers.

At a preliminary juvenile court hearing in November, Judge Kelly agreed with the DPP, and he refused jurisdiction.

Her solicitor said she had attended Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and had a harrowing background. The Garda inspector also accepted she assisted in the investigation, and since then, Tusla admitted her into special care.

The court had imposed strict bail conditions, including banning her from having or using any internet-capable device, except for supervised educational purposes.

She must not leave her accommodation unaccompanied or apply for a passport.

The judge had also said reporting restrictions apply.