Irishman accused on Internet database of being child abuser

AN IRISHMAN is among those named in a database of alleged child abusers which has been compiled in the US and published on the Internet. The man, who has been contacted by The Irish Times, denies the allegations and is seeking legal advice.

The claims have already been the subject of an RUC inquiry. A file on the case was sent to Northern Ireland's Director of Public Prosecutions earlier this year but it was decided there was insufficient evidence to proceed.

The person making the allegations is also Irish and his e-mail address is named as their source on the Internet site. He has repealed his claims to The Irish Times.

It is thought to be the first case in which the Internet has been used to make accusations of this kind against an Irish person. The information appears under the heading of "International Child Molester Database" which invites Internet users with "first-hand knowledge that someone is a child molester" to submit the details to the site.

The site organisers warn that knowingly entering false information is a crime and anyone making false allegations through the Internet can be traced.

The page relating to the alleged Irish abuser is headed with his name and address. It goes on to give details of his appearance and of his personal and professional life, before claiming that he "liked young boys" and "sexually abused me over a three to four-year period".

The source is now living in the US but his claims relate to the 1960s, when he was in his early teens and living with his family in Ireland.

He claims the abuse began when he was 13 and lasted for about three years. The alleged abuser, who was then in his 30s, was a personal and family friend who stayed in the family home on occasions and also invited the teenager to stay with him in Northern Ireland.

Since the decision not to proceed with the case in Northern Ireland, it is believed the Garda has been contacted with a view to conducting a separate investigation, as offences are alleged to have taken place in both jurisdictions.

The man at the centre of the allegations told The Irish Times he was unaware of the information on the database and knew very little about the Internet. He said the man making the claims was known to him and all his allegations had already been investigated by the police. He thought the man had "gone completely mental" and he would be taking advice about seeking amends from those responsible for publishing the claims.

There is no central supervision of material appearing on the Internet, which has been compared to a vast international electronic blackboard on which a computer user can chalk any message.

In the preamble to the specific details of alleged abuse, the site organisers admit that there is a "serious dilemma" in publishing such information while at the same time trying to protect innocent people from "social stigma and disgrace".

They promise those falsely accused that they will do everything to help prove their innocence and to seek retribution from their accusers.

There have been no cases yet in this State in which an Internet publisher has been prosecuted for defamation, according to legal and information technology experts contacted last night.

A complainant could in theory sue the local service provider, but at least one case in the US

has found that the local provider is a mere "common carrier" and not responsible for publication.