Bail is refused to child porn accused
CHARGED WITH POSSESSING 646 IMAGES
A 60- YEAR- OLD US attorney facing child pornography charges has been refused bail at Sligo District Court.
Gerard Gilligan, a father of four with an address in New Jersey is charged with possessing 646 printed images at Union Place on March 1st 2009.
The court heard, Gilligan, who holds both Irish and US passports, had been living in Sligo at the time, first at Union Place and later in Riverstown.
Gilligan, who practised law for 20 years, was extradited voluntarily from the US last week to face the charges.
He appeared in court in custody having been remanded from a sitting of Carrick- on- Shannon Court.
The court heard he has relations in Roscommon and South Sligo.
It was also told Gilligan was in partnership with another man running an internet marketing business based in Westport for the past three years.
Inspector Paul Kilcoyne objected to bail.
Defending counsel Keith O’Grady BL with Laura Spellman, solicitor said the reality was the case would not get a trial date in 2014.
State Solicitor Hugh Sheridan said however he wouldn’t exclude this possibility and that it wasn’t a particularly long case.
Mr O’Grady said he wasn’t in a position to provide an independent surety to the court in the event of Gilligan being granted bail.
The accused’s business partner had been contacted but he wouldn’t be assisting in light of the charges.
Gilligan, who qualified as an attorney in 1979, said he wanted bail in order to be able to participate in his own defence.
He said he didn’t have any property or bank accounts in the US.
Judge Kevin Kilrane said he couldn’t grant bail as the accused was alone in this jurisdiction and did not have an address to go to.
He had tenuous links with this country and he didn’t have any person in court to act as a surety.
Bail was refused and Gilligan was sent forward for trial to the next sittings of the Circuit Court in Sligo on July 28th.