Olaf Raetzel remanded over child image charges

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

Olaf Raetzel was remanded in custody at the High Court on 12 September 2020 over three charges of making indecent photos of children. He was brought before a special sitting of the court on an extradition warrant after being arrested by detectives from the Garda extradition unit. The court remanded him until 29 September. The alleged offences relate to material sought by authorities in the United Kingdom.

Counsel for the Minister for Justice said the maximum sentence for each charge in the UK was 10 years’ imprisonment. The report said UK authorities had searched Mr Raetzel’s home in 2015 and seized his computer, which allegedly contained 21 files. He was due to seek bail and free legal aid at a later date.

This report covers an earlier stage of the case. Later developments are not reported here.