Man charged with rape and sexual assault of a child is remanded on bail
A DONEGAL man has been charged with the rape and sexual assault of a girl aged under 15.
The accused, who is aged in his 20s, appeared in Letterkenny District Court to be charged with five offences that allegedly took place on dates prior to 2021.
The accused, who was before the court on Thursday past, cannot be identified for legal reasons, and reporting restrictions are in place to protect the identity of the alleged victim.
The man is charged that he did, for sexual purposes, invite, induce, counsel or incite a girl, aged under 15, to touch, with part of the body or with an object, the body of another person, including the person who so invited, induced, counselled or incited the child.
This offence is contrary to section 4 of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act, 2017.
The man faces three charges that he did sexually assault the girl, contrary to section 2 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act 1990, as amended by section 37 of the Sex Offenders Act, 2001.
He also faces one charge that he did rape a female person, contrary to section 4 of the Criminal Law (Rape) (Amendment) Act, 1990.
Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle told the court that there was no objection to bail, but asked that the accused be ordered to follow a number of conditions.
Judge Emile Daly ordered that the man sign on at a specified Garda station between the hours of 9am and 7pm every second Saturday.
He must not interfere with any witnesses in the case.
The man must remain contactable to gardaí at all times and must notify gardaí of any changes of his address or phone number.
He has been ordered to surrender his passport and is ordered not to apply for any other travel documentation.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed prosecution on indictment before the Central Criminal Court, and has consented for the accused to appear on a signed guilty plea.
The man was remanded on bail and is due to return to court in December.