A BRITISH lotto millionaire accused of engaging in sexual acts with an underage Irish teen he met online has been further remanded in custody in Ireland.
The detention of the man - who has not been named under direction from the Irish courts - is pending a decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
According to The Times, the British man, who is in his late 20s, was arrested in Dublin five weeks ago after he travelled to speak to the teenager’s mother about his relationship with her daughter.
The girl’s mother alerted gardaí and an investigation began, the court was told.
It is alleged that he met her through an internet chat-room and had videos of sexual activity with the teen on his mobile phone when arrested.
The court previously heard how the man first met the teen last year when she was 15 years old, and it is alleged that they stayed in a Dublin hotel and had sexual intercourse.
The man then came back to Ireland from Britain by ferry every four to six weeks.
According to The Times, CCTV evidence allegedly shows the girl in his company at a number of locations, and gardaí recovered a number of 'images and sexual activity taking place' and 'some recording during the course of sexual activity.'
Analysis of his phone was conducted showing 69 images and five videos of the accused and the girl, the court was told.
One image of the girl in her school uniform was taken when she was aged 15, it was alleged.
The businessman was charged last month with defilement relating to four counts of engaging in a sexual act with a child under the age of 17 in 2016 and this year.
Bail with strict conditions was set at €200,000 but he did not accept it and was remanded in custody.
He faced his fourth hearing yesterday, August 22, when he appeared before Judge Kathryn Hutton at Cloverhill District Court.
Garda Stephen Faulkner asked for the case to be put back for another four weeks for the DPP’s directions to be obtained.
Paula Egan, for the defence, told the court that there was consent to a two-week adjournment only and the defendant was further remanded in custody.
The alleged offences are under section three of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006, which can carry prison terms of up to five years.
Earlier this month the High Court refused to reduce the bail.
At the first hearing last month Garda Faulkner objected to bail, alleging the man frequently travelled over from Britain by ferry to meet the girl for sex.
He had said a complaint was made by the girl’s mother in January, who said that her daughter - who is in her mid-teens - and the man were in a sexual relationship.
Garda Faulkner said that the girl met the man in a chatroom, where she was subscribed to the under-17s category.
It was alleged that they exchanged details and then communicated through Snapchat and WhatsApp.
The case continues.
