Fugitive now in Ireland’s custody
Arrested in Guilderland, man faces 394 criminal counts for alleged abuse
An Irish fugitive who was living in Guilderland until he was arrested in January was taken into custody on sex crime charges in Ireland Friday after he arrived on an overnight flight from Boston, an Irish newspaper reported.
Raymond Donlon, who was a Gaelic Athletic Association coach before coming to Guilderland, was formally arrested on 394 criminal counts arising from his alleged sexual abuse of two young boys in Ireland after he landed at Dublin’s airport, The Irish Post reported Friday.
U.S. Homeland Security agents took Donlon into custody in the Capital Region on Jan. 16 for “protracted sexual abuse” of two children in Longford, Ireland from 2004 to 2009, according to a federal complaint filed against him.
In September 2018, the Irish police asked for help from federal Homeland Security to apprehend Donlon, who was living near the intersection of Routes 20 and 146 in Guilderland, the Daily Gazette had reported.
After he was taken into custody, U.S. District Judge Daniel Stewart ordered Donlon extradited to Ireland in February. Stewart in his written decision termed Donlon a flight risk and a “significant danger to the community.” He was in U.S. Marshals Service custody until the extradition this past week.
Donlon faces 394 criminal counts in Ireland that include 210 counts of sexual assault, 177 counts of rape, three assault counts, and one count each of attempted rape, false imprisonment, harassment and property damage.
The Irish Post said Donlon, who is in his 30s, was to appear in an Irish court after his arrest.
Donlon left Ireland in 2013 before the Gardai — the national Irish police force — could question him about the incidents. After arriving in the U.S., Donlon worked at Celtic Tours World Vacations in Albany as a sales manager.
“Mr. Donlon is accused of a long-standing pattern of criminality of the highest severity, conduct including coercion, deception, threats, and physical violence against young children. The court finds these types of hands-on sexual abuse alleged in the charges to be the most dangerous to the community and there are no conditions that the Court can impose that will ameliorate that severe risk,” Stewart said in his February decision.
Donlon became acquainted with the two victims through coaching, sport photography and administrative work for the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), according to U.S. court documents. He worked as an administrator at Pearse Park sporting ground, a GAA stadium.
The victims went to the Gardai in 2012 and 2013 when they were 11- and 13-years-old, according to information provided by the Irish government and filed in federal court.
The Irish Post said an Irish court issued an arrest warrant for Donlon in Sept. 2017. Gardai worked with Interpol and U.S. and British authorities, the newspaper said, to find Donlon and bring him back to Ireland.