A Circuit Court judge is to face prosecution next year on charges of possession of child pornography.
The judge is reportedly due to appear before Tralee District Court on January 15th on charges under the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.
If convicted, he could face a fine of over €6,000 or five years in prison or both.
The charges arise from a major Garda crackdown on child pornography, dubbed Operation Amethyst, in May this year. Up to 100 premises, mostly residential, were raided in 23 counties by up to 500 gardaí in a series of operations.