Man accused of child grooming in police sting operation gets bail

A BELFAST man accused of attempted sexual communication with police posing as a 12-yearold girl has been granted High Court bail.

A judge was told the alleged contact on social messaging app Kik resumed at a stage when David Quinn would have known the PSNI were staging an undercover sting operation.

Defence lawyers argued someone else must be using his log-in details for any illegal chat.

But Quinn will not be returning to his home at Belvoir Drive after the court heard it was attacked by “criminal elements” .

The 28-year-old denies charges of attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between July and August this year, and again in November.

According to the prosecution, he allegedly initiated contact with a police officer who has an online profile pretending to be a 12-year-old female. A phone number was provided with a request to be called on it, it was claimed.

The online conversation was said to have ceased when Quinn was arrested last month.

He spent a week in custody before his first release on bail on December 4. A day later Quinn allegedly breached those terms by resuming contact with the officer and offering the apology.

Opposing his re-release, prosecution lawyer Mark Farrell said: “Police have concerns that no bail conditions can be put in place to stop him offending.”

Defence counsel Sean O’hare said the latest message was sent after his client would have learned there was no actual child.

“He’s not a sophisticated individual; it seems the fact someone else was using his username and log-in details was sufficient to have him arrested and detained for the bail breach,” the barrister said. “This could be a terrible travesty for him if he’s not in control of whoever is sending these messages to police officers.”

Granting Quinn bail again to an undisclosed address approved by police, Lord Chief Justice Sir Declan Morgan said: “He needs to be exceptionally careful.”