A former garda presenter on RTE's Crimeline programme has begun an appeal in the Circuit Court in a attempt to overturn a conviction of having solicited sex from a 12-year-old girl in a Limerick brothel.
Malahide Garda Sgt Gerard Lynch (40) has been suspended on pay since he was sentenced in the district court to nine months imprisonment last November. Garda Anne Marie McMahon told Judge John Buckley she had posed as a brothel-keeper capable of supplying for sex a 12-year-old-girl to a man who had earlier by phone identified himself as "David" but whom she now knew to be Sergeant Lynch.
A video of a conversation between herself and Sgt Lynch in a bedroom in a brothel known as Erotica, Elm Street, Limerick, was shown to the court. It identified Lynch sitting on a bed talking to Sgt McMahon purportedly about the provision of a 12-year-old girl, Tanya, for sex.
The crackling recording of what was said was inaudible and Judge Buckley said it was just as well a transcript of what had been said had been made available to the court, lawyers and gardai.
The video showed Supt John Kerins later entering the bedroom and arresting Sgt Lynch.
Judge Buckley was told that in later interviews with gardai Lynch had told them he had been involved in a "naive" solo investigation into the provision of children for sexual exploitation and his meeting and conversation with the "brothel-keeper" had been to further his inquiries.
A pair of knickers found in his possession had belonged to his wife and he had mistakenly picked them up when leaving home on the morning of his arrest. He often took a spare pair of underpants with him "in case my system discharges itself" which had often occurred.
The court heard Lynch had told Supt John Kerins he had been naive in undertaking the personal investigation of children being exploited and had never claimed travelling expenses or time off in lieu. He had denied ever having had sex with children.
The case is continuing.