Suspected sex offender used 27 aliases in UK and France before arriving in Ireland

Gardaí have yet to establish exactly how long the man, who has no passport, has been in the State

A man claiming to be in his 30s and from Syria was charged on Wednesday with failing to tell authorities his address under the Sex Offenders Act. Photograph: Getty Images
A man claiming to be in his 30s and from Syria was charged on Wednesday with failing to tell authorities his address under the Sex Offenders Act. Photograph: Getty Images

A suspected sex offender with an unconfirmed identity used 27 aliases in the UK and France before arriving in Ireland, where he attempted to impersonate a minor, a court has heard.

The man, who claims to be in his 30s and from Syria, has been in the country for at least a year. He was charged on Wednesday with failing to tell authorities his address under the Sex Offenders Act.

He was held pending his appearance at Cloverhill District Court, where Judge Patricia Cronin heard that gardaí remain uncertain about the latest name he has given. He has been linked to various other identities used abroad.

Garda Patrick Watson told a contested bail hearing the man was arrested in Dublin but would not give his name, resulting in extensive inquiries at national and international level.

The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) had no record of him under the name he had given.

Colleagues in Cork indicated that the accused was known there under a different name. Extra inquiries were made with Interpol, revealing the accused had six separate identities in France and 21 in the UK, and another four in Ireland.

Garda Watson said the man, who cannot currently be named for legal reasons, was also subject to the obligations of the sex offenders register. The court heard gardaí have yet to establish exactly how long the man, who has no passport, has been in the State.

The court heard that at one stage he contacted Tusla, claiming to be a minor. The child and family agency “carried out tests and established that this was not the case”.

The court heard he never presented to the GNIB or international protection services.

Garda Watson maintained the accused, who did not address the court, was elusive when asked to give his background information.

The defence stressed the man denied being the person named on the charge sheet, but the prosecuting garda replied: “The fingerprints say otherwise.”

His barrister submitted the accused still enjoyed the presumption of innocence, and would obey strict bail conditions and lodge €500, all his money.

The offence carries a maximum 12-month sentence.

He was remanded in custody with consent to bail and will appear again next week to formally enter a plea and have a later hearing date set if he contests the charge.

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