Monday, March 28, 2011

Priest (65) facing additional child porn charges

A DEFROCKED priest accused of possessing thousands of pornographic images of children had additional charges brought against him Friday. 

Oliver O'Grady (65) had been arrested on December 10 last and charged with possessing child pornography.

He had been remanded on bail and made his fifth appearance at Dublin District Court.

Det Gda Johanna Doyle told Judge Cormac Dunne that three further charges had been brought against Mr O'Grady.

These charges allege possessing and importation of child pornography at Dublin Airport on February 15 last year and possession of child pornography at a storage unit in Tallaght, on 
December 10 last. 

He made no comment when charged.

A state solicitor told the court that the DPP had directed the case be sent forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Silent

Judge Dunne granted legal aid to Mr O'Grady, who remained silent during his brief court appearance. 

He was remanded on bail to appear again in May when he is to served with a book of evidence and returned for trial.

Previously, the court had heard that the defendant had lived at various addresses in Ireland since he was deported from the United States in 2001.

As part of his bail conditions he must sign on twice daily at Harcourt Terrace garda station.

Mr O'Grady, with an address at a hostel, on Charlemont Street, in Dublin 2, also gave an undertaking earlier not to seek travel documentation and has surrendered his passport to gardai.

The material allegedly confiscated included images and videos on a USB key, an external hard drive and a laptop.

"We are talking about thousands upon thousands of images of child pornography," Det Gda Doyle had told the court earlier.

"Children from the age of two and three up to teenage boys and girls."