Irishman due in US court to face extradition charges over sex offence allegations

An Irishman is due in court in Albany, New York on Friday to face extradition charges over a series of sexual offense allegations in Ireland.

The accused, who has been granted a federal defence attorney, is expected to appear at the US district court in the state capital.

The man is wanted for questioning over the alleged sexual assault and rape of two minors, mostly at a GAA ground in the midlands between 2004 and 2009.

He faces 394 criminal counts, including 177 counts of rape.

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Court documents filed in New York state that the accused “is charged with 210 counts of sexual assault, 177 counts of rape, one count of attempted rape, three counts of assault causing harm, one count of false imprisonment, one count of damage to property and one count of harassment.”

The man was arrested last week by the Department of Homeland Security in the town of Guilderland, a suburb of Albany, the capital of New York State. It is believed he had been living there since April, though he left Ireland in 2013.

The documents state the Irish Government submitted a formal request through diplomatic channels for the extradition of the individual.

A warrant was issued for his arrest in September 2017. Gardaí then asked Homeland Security for assistance in locating the individual a year later.

According to the documents outlining the basis for the extradition request, the man was well known in the local community in Ireland and had a “significant involvement in the local GAA scene.”

The allegations centre around two victims who were subjected to “protracted sexual abuse” by the accused between 2004 and 2009.

One of the alleged victims made allegations to gardaí in 2012 about being abused between the ages of 11 and 16. Much of the alleged abuse occurred at a GAA grounds, the documents state.

A subsequent investigation into the allegations revealed another alleged underage victim who claimed the suspect had “coached and groomed” him “from the age of at least 12, giving him a job, gifts, money and trips away from a difficult home life.”

The abuse took place at a GAA ground but also in other locations including hotels, it is alleged.

According to the filing, the accused’s house in Ireland was raided in November 2013 by authorities during which incriminatory evidence was recovered, it is alleged.

One of the victims was abused multiple times per week between 2004 and 2006, with the abuse beginning when the victim was 13 years old, it is alleged.

The charges related to the other victim occurred on a quarterly basis between 2005 and 2009, it is claimed.

The accused has been detained in a county jail in upstate New York while he awaits Friday’s hearing at the US district court in Albany.

Ireland and the United States have an extradition agreement which dates back to 1983.

While the presiding magistrate, Judge Daniel Stewart may certify the extradition request at Friday’s court hearing, it ultimately falls to the US state department to sign-off on the request.