‘I met him at over-18s club,’ says teacher (24) accused of sex act with teenager

A TEACHER accused of engaging in a sex act with a teenage boy told a detective she “met him at an over-18s nightclub” when she was further charged.

The 24-year-old female teacher is also accused of sexually exploiting the boy, who was a student in her school at the time. She has since lost her job.

A detective told Swords District Court that the teacher was facing trial by judge and jury in the circuit court on the charges. Judge Miriam Walsh remanded the woman on continuing bail to a date in April for the service of the book of evidence.

The media was again warned that reporting restrictions are in place preventing the identification of the young teacher.

Defence solicitor Emer O’Sullivan raised concerns that a photographer had stuck his camera under the woman’s face as she was entering the court building.

Judge Walsh told the court that no details were to be printed which identified the accused and that “sure as hell no pictures were to be taken”.

The judge said the media would “incur her wrath” if anything was published identifying the young woman.

The teacher is charged with engaging in a sex act with a male child under the age of 17 on February 1 and February 13 last year. The offences are contrary to Section 3(1) of the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2006.

The accused was initially charged last October after she was arrested by investigating gardaí at Dublin Airport when she returned to Ireland on a flight. Detective Garda Stephen Hughes further charged the teacher yesterday morning with four new offences, two further charges of defilement and two of sexually exploiting a child on February 1 and February 13, 2018.

Det Gda Hughes said the accused made no reply to three of the charges and in reply to the fourth she said: “I met him at an over-18s nightclub.”

Det Gda Hughes said that the DPP had directed trial on indictment on the charges.

He said the existing bail could be extended to the new sheets. Ms O’Sullivan said there was consent to an eightweek adjournment for the book of evidence. The accused, who was wearing a short black jacket with a fur collar and accompanied to court by her father and a young female, did not address the court during the short hearing.

She was previously granted bail, subject to a number of conditions, including a cash lodgement of €2,000 and that she surrender her passport and not apply for new documentation. She was also ordered to provide gardaí with a phone number and be contactable at all times.

The woman was further charged with four new offences