A South Galway man in his sixties has been sent forward to Galway Circuit Criminal Court on a signed guilty plea to 49 charges relating to possession and distribution of hundreds of child sexual abuse images.

The man, who cannot be named, appeared at Gort District Court where he signalled his intention to plead guilty to the charges at the higher court.

Sergeant Claire Heneghan said the Director of Public Prosecutions was consenting to the accused being sent forward on a guilty plea.

He is alleged to have committed the offences on a series of dates in late 2023 and has been charged with two counts of knowingly producing, distributing, printing or publishing, or knowingly importing, exporting, selling or showing any child sexual abuse material, contrary to Section 5 of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.

He faces five charges of possessing child sexual abuse material, namely videos on a mobile phone, contrary to Section 6(1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998.

A further 42 charges have been levelled against the accused, for allegedly using the KIK messaging application to communicate with another person (including a child) for the purpose of facilitating the sexual exploitation of a child under the age of 17 years, by that person or any other person, contrary to Section 8(1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017.

Judge Alec Gabbett sent the case forward to the Circuit Court and granted legal aid to the accused for one solicitor and one counsel, describing it as “an unbelievably complex case”.  He remanded the man on continuing bail to appear before the next sittings of Galway Circuit Court.

Reporting restrictions were applied to protect the identity of the injured parties in the case.