A FERMANAGH man has been sent forward to the Crown Court on more than 60 charges including possessing child porn, child prostitution, and inciting children to engage in sex acts.
Alun Cleary (37) of Main Street, Belleek, appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday for a preliminary enquiry (PE) into a total of 61 charges.
The charges facing Cleary include 12 counts of making indecent photographs, 23 counts of possessing an indecent photograph, four counts of engaging a child in prostitution, five counts of causing or inciting a child under the age of 13 to engage in a sex act, three counts of attempting to incite a child in a sex act, and three counts of attempting to incite a child in prostitution.
Cleary is also charged with three counts of distributing an indecent pseudo photos of a child, five counts of possession of a prohibited image of a child, possession of an extreme pornographic image. Details of the alleged offences were not opened to the court on Monday.
During the short PE the charges were put to Cleary, who appeared via video link from his solicitor Paddy McGurk’s office in Derry as part of the current Covid arrangements in the courthouse. Cleary made no objection to the PE being held, and when asked if he wished to call witnesses or submit a written statement he replied “not at this time.”
A representative from the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) said that, based on the papers in the case, Cleary had a case to answer. District Judge Steven Keown said he was also satisfied the defendant had a case to answer.
Judge Keown released Cleary on his own bail of £500 and adjourned the case to Dungannon Crown Court on May 18.
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