Court of Appeal rules child sexual exploitation is standalone

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

The Court of Appeal ruled that child sexual exploitation is a standalone offence. The ruling followed acquittals in Kerry Circuit Court of two men accused of child exploitation; the report was published on 22 November 2021.

The DPP referred the legal question after the trial judge directed not guilty verdicts because the evidence did not establish trafficking. The appeals court held that the offence does not require proof that a child was trafficked, and said the trial judge’s interpretation was incorrect.