Man charged with child abuse, possession of banned book

A Clare man has appeared in court charged with child abuse and possession of the first book to be banned in Ireland in nearly two decades.

Last year, The Raped Little Runaway by Jean Martin and published by Star Distributors Ltd became the first book to be banned by the Irish Censorship of Publications Board since 1998.

The board found the book – which contains multiple descriptions of child rape – to be “indecent” and “obscene”.

In the case before Ennis District Court on Wednesday, the 40-year-old accused – who cannot be named for legal reasons – was also charged with the sexual assault of a boy aged under 10 more than a decade ago.

Censorship board chairman Shane McCarthy said when the book was banned that the decision was unanimous among the five board members. “It was the only resort . . . The collective view of the board was that it was a vile publication as it contained graphic descriptions of the rape of a minor.”

Pornography

In the case before the District Court on Wednesday, the accused was charged with knowingly having in his possession child pornography – The Raped Little Runaway at his home on November 28th, 2015 – four months before the book was banned by the censors.

The man is charged under section Six of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act.

The case is to go forward to the Circuit Court where penalties for such an offence can be up to five years in jail on conviction.

He also faces two counts of the sexual assault of a boy aged under 10 at the time at the accused’s home on dates between January 1st, 2001, to December 31st, 2004.

The alleged victim is related to the accused. If convicted of the sexual assault charge, the accused in the circuit court faces a prison term up to five years.

Judge Patrick Durcan remanded the accused on bail to appear before Ennis District Court on April 26th.