A man has been charged with possessing child sex abuse images after leaving a USB key behind in a room of a Letterkenny hostel.
Robert Browne was caught after staff at the Apple Hostel in Letterkenny opened the key in a bid to establish who it belonged to.
The case of Browne, a 51-year-old with an address in Birkenhead, Merseyside, UK, appeared at Letterkenny District Court, where Judge Vincent Deane refused jurisdiction.
The defendant was staying at the hostel and staff members found the key while cleaning the room on July 27, 2016. The hostel manager alerted Gardai, who began a probe.
The court heard that there were a total of nine images, five of which were described as ‘anime’ and depicted children in nude poses and engaging in acts of a sexual nature.
There were four images depicting young female children in naked poses.
Browne has been charged with knowingly having in his possession child pornography to wit, five anime images depicting prepubescent children in nude poses and engaging in sex acts, four photographic images depicting naked poses of young teenage females. The offence is contrary to Section 6(1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998.
Judge Deane refused jurisdiction, meaning the matter will go back to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Judge Deane put the matter back until September 21, 2023 to allow for the preparation of a book of evidence. Time was extended by consent of Mr Frank Dorrian, solicitor for Browne.
The accused was remanded on continuing bail.