77 charges | 

Young man to stand trial accused of rape, sex abuse and blackmail of three teen boys

Stephen Lee McIlvenny (21) faces a total of 77 offences

Yesterday at 11:39

A west Belfast man was today ordered to stand trial facing a catalogue of offences accusing him of the rape, sex abuse and blackmail of three teenage boys.

Appearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink from custody, 21-year-old Stephen Lee McIlvenny confirmed that he was aware of the 77 charges against him and that he had received the papers and statements for his Preliminary enquiry, the legal step necessary to elevate any case to the Crown Court.

McIlvenny, from Glasvey Close in Dunmurry but now listed as C/O Hydebank YOC, faces a total of 77 offences alleged to have been committed against three schoolboys between 3 November 2019 and 9 November 2022.

Among the charges in the mammoth indictment McIlvenny is accused of raping each of the complainants, intimidating them into sending explicit images of themselves, having and distributing indecent images of the boys, inciting them to engage in and watch sexual activity, paying for sexual services of a child, attempted rape, causing one of the boys to fear violence and also inflicting grievous bodily harm on the child with intent.

While none of the alleged facts giving rise to the charges were opened today, previous courts have heard that according to the two initial schoolboy complainants, they were raped and abused “on a weekly basis” and it is the police case that McIlvenny blackmailed them into having sex with him by threatening to release intimate images he had of them.

The alleged offences came to light in November 2022 when the first complainant told police he had exchanged messages, including intimate images, with McIlvenny through social media but the defendant then allegedly used those images to blackmail the 15-year-old into having sex with him.

“This was occurring weekly and was often recorded by the defendant,” claimed a police officer adding that the second alleged victim was introduced to McIlvenny by the first.

According to the police case, when the second boy was at McIlvenny’s home the defendant is alleged to have hidden a camera in the toilet and he used that to record images which he then used to allegedly blackmail the boy into engaging in sexual activities.

The court also heard that a month before the first victim reported the matter, the defendant is alleged to have “seriously assaulted” him to the extent that he suffered a bleed on the brain.

Previous courts have also heard claims that the police have identified a large amount of indecent material including images and videos allegedly recording sex offences being committed against two of the 15-year-old complainants.

A third complainant came forward after McIlvenny was charged with the original 14 offences and in court today, a prosecuting lawyer submitted there was a Prima Facie case against the alleged rapist.

That was conceded by defence solicitor Hamill Clawson while the defendant himself declined to comment on the charges or to call evidence on his own behalf.

Remanding McIlvenny back into custody, District Judge Rosie Watters returned the case to Craigavon Crown Court and extending legal aid to allow a senior barrister to be instructed, scheduled the arraignment to be heard on 4 June.