Birthday party planner facing child porn charges is banned from town showgrounds
A CHILDREN’S birthday party planner has been charged with possessing an indecent photo of youngsters and causing or inciting a girl under the age of 13 to be involved in pornography.
Alistair McIlroy (28), of Thornbrooke, Ahoghill, appeared at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court yesterday in connection with a total of four charges which are alleged to have happened between the start of 2014 and May 11, 2016.
The other two charges allege that, for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification, he intentionally caused a child under the age of 16 to look at an image of a person engaging in a sexual activity.
His case had been listed yesterday for a preliminary enquiry — the legal step to send a case to the Crown Court — and he appeared briefly in the dock.
A prosecutor asked for the case to be adjourned until late September.
McIlroy was released on continuing bail.
At a previous hearing in early August he had bail fixed in the sum of £500.
As part of his bail he is not to contact the alleged injured party or any witness in the case.
He is banned from having contact with any person under the age of 18 unless supervised by another adult and he must not have access to internet-enabled devices.
He is further banned from entering Ballymena Showgrounds or the nearby village of Broughshane.
McIlroy is well-known in the Ballymena area where he runs Ally’s Sports, which specialises in staging sports-themed birthday parties for children aged five and upwards at venues or at their homes.
He has also worked as a sports coach in schools.