TEACHER CHARGED OVER SEX ACTS WITH STUDENT

Woman, 24, arrested on return to Ireland

A FEMALE teacher has appeared in court charged with engaging in sex acts with an underage teenage boy at the school where she used to work.

The 24-year-old, arrested by investigating gardaí at Dublin Airport on Sunday after returning to Ireland, is accused of engaging in sex acts with a child under 17 on February 1 and on February 13 this year. She was yesterday brought before Swords District Court in Dublin charged with the two sexual offences against the pupil.

The court heard that the woman made no reply when the charge was put to her by gardaí.

Investigating officers have seized the woman’s mobile phone, Garda Stephen Hughes confirmed to the

court. She was charged under Section 3(1) of the Criminal Sexual Offences Act 2006.

Judge Dermot Dempsey remanded the teacher on bail of €2,000 and adjourned the case until December 19 when she is due to appear in court again.

He granted bail with a number of conditions. These include that she surrender her passport and not apply for a new one. She must also provide An Garda Síochána

Teacher’s mobile phone seized

with a phone number she can be reached on at all times.

Judge Dempsey granted an application for legal aid as the defendant’s solicitor said her client had lost her job.

The judge granted the application and the accused made a cash lodgement of €2,000 in court as she was granted bail.

The defendant, who did not speak during the brief hearing, was a teacher in a Dublin secondary school at the time of the alleged offence.

Evidence of arrest, charge and caution was given in court by Garda Hughes.

He told the court yesterday: ‘She was interviewed under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.

‘Directions to charge were obtained last night.’

The accused made no reply after the charge, he said.

Garda Hughes told the court that they had seized the young woman’s mobile phone and that she would have to obtain another phone.

He asked the court that an order be made under Section 30 of the Sexual Offences Act that there would be no reporting of the identity of the accused or any details that might identify the victim.

He told the court ‘this is due to the nature of the offence’.

The defendant was also ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim or any other witnesses engaged in the case. The young teacher appeared in court dressed in a pink hooded top, black tracksuit bottoms and black rim glasses. She sat in the body of the court for the duration of the hearing.