Jailed coercive ex-garda Moody arrested on sex abuse allegations

14th August 2022

Disgraced former garda Paul Moody has been arrested over allegations of historical sexual abuse, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

Moody, jailed three weeks ago for a campaign of coercive control against his ex-partner, was taken into garda custody and questioned by detectives after a statement of complaint was made against him relating to alleged incidents of “serious and sustained” sexual abuse over a number of years.

The ongoing criminal investigation is separate to the coercive control case he is currently imprisoned over. It is being led by specialist officers from a divisional Garda Protective Services Unit.

It is understood detectives are finalising a report for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). The state prosecutor will then decide whether the 42-year-old former garda is to face more criminal charges.

A source said: “The investigation into historical sexual abuse is essentially completed. It will be in the hands of the DPP whether we see Moody back in court answerable on these extremely serious charges.”

His arrest took place ahead of Moody being jailed late last month for coercive control.

• On July 26, he was sent to prison for three years and three months for a four-year campaign of harassment using threats, assaults and coercive control against his cancer-stricken ex-partner. The abuse came to light when he voluntarily handed in his mobile phone to gardaí after making a false allegation against one of her relatives.

In her victim impact statement, the former garda’s victim said Moody told her the only reason he had visited her while she was ill in hospital was to “watch you bleed to death”.

The court heard Moody sent the woman more than 30,000 messages over the four years; in one 14-hour period in July 2018, he sent her 652 messages — one message every 90 seconds.

Moody, of St Raphael’s Manor, Celbridge, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to a charge of coercive control in relation to the woman on dates between January 1, 2019, and November 30, 2020. The law for the offence came into effect in January 2019.