A Garda sergeant who claims he was working undercover when arrested in a brothel for seeking sexual intercourse with a 13-yearold girl had no authority to conduct a solo investigation, senior officers told Dublin District Court yesterday.
Sgt Gerard Lynch (40), formerly one of the presenters on RTE's Crimeline, denies soliciting for prostitution and maintains he was conducting an inquiry into a missing girl, believed to be working in a Limerick or Longford brothel.
He was arrested in an escort agency premises in Elland Street, Limerick, on June 12th last year after gardai had secretly videotaped him allegedly discussing what type of underage girls he would like to have intercourse with. He boasted of having sex with three underage girls, including a 12-year-old in Galway.
Officers who walked in on him in the brothel found he had £250 cash in his shirt pocket.
Sgt Lynch's superior officer, Supt John Flynn, now retired, told the court he was the person with ultimate responsibility for a file on the missing girl and at no time was Sgt Lynch authorised to investigate it. He found his explanation "incomprehensible".
Insp Karl Heller, who oversaw all child abuse cases in the Malahide/Swords/Coolock district, said it would be impossible to conduct an investigation into child prostitution, as Sgt. Lynch had claimed he was, without informing a more senior officer.
The trial continues today