‘CURIOSITY’ | 

Alleged paedophile accused of buying alcohol for girl (13) kicked out of ‘marital’ home

Cullen faces several charges – all alleged to have been committed between January 2022 and May 6 this year

Today at 17:34

A Co Down man accused of buying alcohol for a 13-year-old schoolgirl in exchange for explicit images and her underwear has been “kicked out of the matrimonial home”, a court has been told.

The news came during a hearing on Friday when Niall Cullen was due to apply for a bail variation.

But it was adjourned as the detective leading the investigation into the 39-year-old and his co-accused, is on holiday.

Cullen (39), from Hillsborough Road in Carryduff, appeared at Lisburn Magistrates Court via video link from prison.

District Judge Peter Magill said that according to the bail form Cullen proposes to go and live with his parents in Carrigart, Co Donegal.

The court was told that his brother is willing to provide a cash surety of £10,000.

Cullen faces several charges – all alleged to have been committed between January 2022 and May 6 this year.

As well as inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, they include facilitating the schoolgirl to send indecent images of herself, engaging in sexual communication with her, causing her to become involved in pornography and possessing indecent photos.

Initially charged in May, it was claimed that Cullen was the first to contact the 13-year-old schoolgirl via social media and it was through him that she was introduced to his co-accused.

Kris Mervyn Coleman (37), from Hillsborough Road in Carryduff, also faces a number of charges including engaging in sexual communication with the schoolgirl and having indecent images of her.

Coleman allegedly asked the girl for sexually explicit images of herself and despite knowing her age, “he did nothing to stop contact”.

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“He claims that she asked him to buy her alcohol but that was the deal that she left her underwear in exchange with him,” said the lawyer, adding that Coleman also allegedly sent her videos of himself having sex with women.

At that previous hearing the solicitor said that Coleman told police during interviews the underwear request “wasn’t for sexual gratification but just out of curiosity, to see how far she would go before he called her bluff”.

The court was also told that Coleman never actually physically met the schoolgirl but instead it was a matter of “leaving stuff at a location” which was then collected.

Coleman has been bailed. The prosecution agreed Cullen could also be freed “under similar conditions”.

Cullen’s bail application will now take place this Thursday, with the judge telling him he would be surprised if the address wasn’t approved but has to “give the police a chance in case there is something wrong”.