Bail refused | 

Man charged over alleged child sex offences after being snared by ‘paedo hunter group’

District judge Austin Kennedy said he was refusing bail over for Martin Burns’ own safety

Today at 14:09

A north Antrim man appeared in court today accused of attempted sexual communicating with a child after he was snared by a so-called paedophile hunter group.

Appearing by videolink from custody at Ballymena Magistrates Court, 50-year-old Martin Burns spoke only to confirm that he understood the two charges against him, namely that for the purposes of obtaining sexual gratification, he intentionally attempted to engage in sexual communication with a child on 1 March and 23 July this year.

Objecting to Burns being granted bail, Const. Perry told the court that on 15 August this year police received a report from the Predator NI group “that they had confronted a male in a bar on Main Street in Bushmills.”

When police arrived at the scene, the group handed over information to the officers which their “protection officer” had gleaned.

Burns was arrested and although he made no reply at that stage, during later interviews he told police he had been using his social media profile to speak to two females who “told him both are 14.”

The officer said police were objecting to bail due to concerns for Burns’ own safety, revealing that since his arrest relatives of the defendant have been told that “should they give him an address [for bail] then they will come to harm.”

Defence counsel Grant Powles conceded Burn’s safety “is the primary concern” but he suggested to District judge Austin Kennedy that he could grant bail subject to an address and that would allow the alleged pervert to apply for emergency housing or hostel accommodation.

“I’m not granting bail,” DJ Kennedy told him however, “primarily for his own safety.”

Burns was remanded into custody and the case adjourned to 11 September.