Judge rejects call for reporting restrictions in 'decoy' child sex case
A man in Co Antrim has been charged in connection with an alleged ‘decoy’ case.
The case against 33-year-old Mark Mawhinney, of Steeple Road in the Kells area, has been adjourned until later in the autumn.
Mr Mawhinney is facing a criminal charge of attempting to have a ‘sexual communication with a child’ on June 30 of this year.
A prosecuting lawyer told an earlier court hearing that it is what is sometimes referred to as a ‘decoy’ case.
The decoy was pretending to be a 14-year-old girl, according to the charge sheet that was placed before Ballymena Magistrates' Court late last week.
At Thursday's court hearing, a defence solicitor said that she has obtained the defendant's medical notes from his general practitioners’.
She said that Mr Mawhinney has a “learning disability”.
The solicitor also told the court: “I think that is something that's going to need to be explored in the context of this particular offence.”
The defence solicitor applied for a reporting restriction in the case.
She said to the judge presiding over the hearing: “This man does have a learning disability and I would submit that he should therefore be afforded the same rights effectively as a child appearing before the court until the full extent of disability is established.”
In reply, District Judge Alan White rejected the request.
Judge White told the court hearing: “I am not imposing reporting restrictions.”
The case has been adjourned until later in the year.
A date for the next hearing in the matter has been set for next month, November 20.