Police ‘working to contact possible victims’

Police are working to contact possible victims in a case involving a Catholic priest charged with child sex offences, a court has been told.

Fr Edward Gallagher, 58, of Orchard Park, Lifford, County Donegal, in the Republic of Ireland, is charged with one count of attempted sexual communication with a child between 2 April and 17 April this year.

He faces seven further charges, including inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and causing a child to watch sexual activity, alleged to have taken place on 17 April.

Londonderry Magistrates’ Court was told on Thursday that detectives have now completed the examination of electronic devices in the case.

The court was told the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) is liaising with other police services as part of the investigation.

Defence barrister Stephen Chapman acknowledged the update but said the exercise to contact the people could “potentially take a very long time.”

He said the defence would need a more “detailed update as to what needs to be done and what is being done”.

Deputy District Judge Trevor Browne said the defence would need to be given “some sort of structured outline” of the investigation’s progress.

The case was adjourned until next month and Fr Eddie Gallagher was remanded back into custody.