Irish doctor on run arrested in Morocco

An Irish doctor on the run from charges of child molestation in the United States has been arrested in Morocco.

Dr Rory Doyle was detained in Tangier yesterday as part of a US operation that involved local police, the Garda and UK authorities.

He absconded from Ireland while on bail pending the outcome of his appeal against his extradition to the US on child molestation charges.

In January 2010 the High Court ordered Dr Doyle be surrendered to Florida, where he is wanted on three charges of child molestation and a fourth of failing to turn up for his trial on those charges in November 2001.

Dr Doyle denied the charges, including molestation of two girls (then aged 13 and eight) while they were asleep.

The offences are alleged to have occurred at Treasure Island, Florida, between September 1994 and February 1995, and at St Petersburg, Florida, in July 2000.

The appeal by Dr Doyle (56), with addresses at Donnybrook Manor, Belmont Avenue, Donnybrook, Dublin, and Sallins Bridge, Sallins, Co Kildare, against his extradition was listed before the Supreme Court last February.

After his arrest in 2009, he was on bail subject to conditions requiring him to surrender his passport, reside in Donnybrook, enter into his own bond of €25,000 and provide a surety of €100,000. The surety was put up by his mother Maura Doyle (89), with whom he lived in Donnybrook. It was forfeited when he left the State.

In December 2011 Dr Doyle was granted the return of his passport to allow him go to England with his mother for a week at Christmas. He was excused from signing on from December 21st to 29th.

Mrs Doyle spent the holidays in a Cork hotel. She returned home on December 29th to find her son had gone. When he had not returned by January 2nd, she phoned Donnybrook Garda station and was assured the matter would be followed up. Gardaí­ called to her home and a warrant was issued for her son’s arrest.