A man who disappeared last month just hours before he was convicted of sexually assaulting seven boys has been remanded in custody after he was arrested yesterday afternoon by gardaí.
James Lombard (36) was convicted in his absence on February 7th of sexually assaulting the boys in the toilets of fast-food restaurants and swimming-pool dressing rooms in Cork.
A bench warrant was issued for his arrest by Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin.
On Friday at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Ó Donnabháin lifted a prohibition on identifying Lombard and his name and description were made public. Gardaí arrested him yesterday in Carrigaline, south Cork.
Det Garda Ian Breen told Cork District Court he was walking down Main Street in Carrigaline at about 3.20pm yesterday when he saw Lombard walking towards him. Garda Breen and a number of colleagues followed and approached Lombard.
"He informed me that he was James Lombard," Det Garda Breen told Judge Tim Lucey. "I was aware that a bench warrant was in existence for his arrest. I arrested him and conveyed him to Togher Garda station."
Lombard is from Sunday's Well/Blarney Street area in Cork.
Insp Denis O'Shea applied to have him remanded in custody to appear at Youghal District Court today at 12.30pm.
Lombard's solicitor, Eddie Burke, said he was seeking free legal aid for his client who was in receipt of social welfare.
He said he was not opposing the State's application.
Judge Lucey remanded Lombard in custody to appear at Youghal today.