Man (44) returned for trial on 20 charges including sexual activity with minor

A 44-year-old man has been returned for trial by judge and jury on 20 charges of sexual offences, including engaging in sexual activity with a teenage boy and using the boy for sexual exploitation.

Garfield Ebbs of Fairfield Green, Farranree, Cork made his second court appearance when he attended at Cork District Court on Friday where gardaí served him with the book of evidence against him.

Mr Ebbs is charged with five counts of engaging in sexual activity with a child under 17, contrary to Section 3 of the Criminal Law (Sex Offences) Act 2017 at locations in Cork between September 1st, 2018 and May 25th, 2019.

He is also charged with another five counts that he engaged in sexual exploitation, contrary to Section 3(2) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998 in Cork, again between September 1st, 2018 and May 25th, 2029

And Mr Ebbs is also charged with a further five counts that he obtained a child under 17 for the purpose of sexual exploitation, contrary to Section 3 of the Criminal Law (Sex Offences) Act 2017, again in Cork between the same dates.

And he is also charged a further five counts that he met a child under 17 for the purposes of sexual exploitation, contrary to Section 7 of Criminal Law (Sex Offences) 2017, again in Cork between the same dates.

On Friday, Sgt Gearoid Davis said the DPP had directed Mr Ebbs be tried on indictment before a judge and jury on all 20 counts and he asked for him to be sent forward to the next sittings of Cork Circuit Criminal Court on June 15th.

Judge Olann Kelleher granted the application and returned Mr Ebbs, who was represented in court by solicitor, Frank Buttimer, to appear at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on June 15th.

Sgt Davis said the DPP had directed that two other charges against Mr Ebbs that he paid a prostitute for sexual activity on November 25th, 2019 and January 7th, 2020 should be dealt by summary prosecution at district court level.

He applied to have those two charges adjourned until September and Judge Kelleher remanded Mr Ebbs on continuing bail to appear on those two charges at Cork District Court on September 8th.

At a previous sitting, Det Garda Craig Peterson of the Protective Services Unit at Anglesea Street Garda Station in Cork told how he met Mr Ebbs at Gurranebraher Garda Station on the afternoon of April 25th by appointment.

He told how arrested Mr Ebbs at 4.30pm on that date for the purpose of charge and he then charged him with each of the 22 offences and Mr Ebbs made no reply to any of the charges when they were put to him after caution.