Police trying to trace Donegal priest’s alleged victims

POLICE are trying to identify further alleged victims of a priest charged with child sex offences, a court was told today.

Father Edward Gallagher has been in custody since his arrest in April.

He was initially charged with attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between April 2 and April 17 this year.

However, he was further charged last month with a number of other alleged offences.

These include allegedly possessing an indecent image of a child and possessing extreme pornographic images.

He is also charged with making an indecent image of a child, distributing indecent images of a child, causing a child to engage in sexual activity, causing a child to watch a sexual activity and sexual communication with a child.

These offences are alleged to have happened on April 17.

Gallagher’s case was back before Derry Magistrates Court today and he joined the hearing via videolink from a custody suite.

The court was told police have made efforts to identify the further alleged victims linked to the case, but as it stands, their identities are currently outstanding.

Police have been given a further four weeks to make progress in the case and Gallagher is due to appear before Derry Magistrates Court again on November 6.

Gallagher’s legal representative told a previous court hearing they were struggling to find a bail address for him.

At the time of his arrest, Gallagher, who is originally from Derry, was based in Lifford but was suspended from ministry following his arrest.

He also previously served as parish priest in Greencastle, Co Tyrone.