High Court hears Derry man Ciaran Bradley claim he was in “steady” relationship with 15-year-old female
Prosecutors claimed Ciaran Bradley is accused of exchanging inappropriate photos and kissed the 15-year-old girl on three occasions.
The 24-year-old, of Moss Park in the city, is charged with sexual touching and possessing an indecent image of her on dates between January 1 and March 29 this year.
Social services were alerted by someone concerned about the alleged relationship, a judge was told.
A Crown lawyer said: “They had been sending what she described as dirty pictures.
“Further information from other witnesses revealed (Bradley) had stated in a conversation that he and the child in question were ‘steady’.”
Counsel went on: “His view was that the cops can’t do anything about that as they have no proof whatsoever.”
Reference was also made to a latter where the accused allegedly said he did not care what the authorities thought about them being together.
During police interviews Bradley insisted that he believed the girl was 16.
Defence barrister Sean Doherty argued that the Crown was wrongly trying to portray his client as being “cunning, calculated and mendacious”.
Mr Doherty instead submitted: “He’s a man of extremely limited intellectual capacity.”
He contended that there is no statement of complaint in a case involving allegations of kissing.
“This is not the type of case where a man is obtaining sexual gratification as a consequence of his involvement with this girl,” the lawyer claimed.
Mr Justice McAlinden adjourned Bradley’s application for bail.
He requested an expert report to help address questions about any intellectual impairments and risk assessment.
The High Court judge said: “Because of the concern I have about the risk to young, vulnerable females in the care system I could not possibly grant bail unless those issues were properly bottomed out.”
Bradley was remanded back into custody until the expert medical report is completed and furnished to the court.
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