A man facing 79 sexual assault charges has been remanded into custody following a court appearance in Dublin today, Tuesday, July 22.
An Garda Síochána said on Tuesday morning that following an extradition from the US at the request of the Irish authorities, a male, aged in his 70s, had been arrested by Gardaí attached to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau.
The male, gardai said, was detained at a Garda Station in Dublin before being brought before a sitting at the Criminal Courts of Justice on Tuesday.
According to the Irish Times, Sgt Amy Kelly of Ballymun Garda station told the court that she arrested the accused at Terminal 2 in Dublin Airport at 5:56 am on Tuesday.
He was then taken to Ballymun Garda station, where he was charged by Garda Nuala Lawlor at 7:40 am.
Each charge was put to him, and he was cautioned after each and handed a copy of the charge sheets, the Irish Times reports.
The man faces 79 charges - 78 counts of indecent assault and one of attempted rape - stemming from accusations from four women who were minors at the time of the alleged abuse, which occurred between 1971 and 1981 in various locations in Dublin.
The man, who was in a wheelchair, did not speak during his court appearance before Judge Michele Finan at Dublin's Criminal Courts of Justice on Tuesday morning.
The man, who the court heard is "not working" and "has no assets," has been granted legal aid.
The Irish Examiner reports that State solicitor Rory Staines told Judge Finan that the Director of Public Prosecutions has directed that he face "trial on indictment in the Central Criminal Court."
Defence solicitor Tracy Horan requested that the man urgently receive dentures and a hearing aid, which Judge Finan agreed to.
Horan also told the court no application for bail was being made, and that the accused was consenting to being remanded in custody for one week to Cloverhill Prison in Dublin, to appear again on Tuesday, July 29.
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