A 47-YEAR-OLD Dublin man charged with possessing thousands of child pornography images and videos has been sent forward for trial.

Andrew D’Arcy, of Grace Park Gardens, Drumcondra, is accused of possessing 3,257 images and 347 videos on 1 September 2017. He is also charged with distribution of child pornography.

He appeared again at Dublin District Court when he was served with a book of evidence.

Judge Bryan Smyth granted an order sending the accused forward for trial to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court where he will face his next hearing on 11 November.

Legal aid for representation of junior and senior counsel, due to the large amount of images, was granted following a request by defence solicitor Tony Collier.

Mr D’Arcy, who has not yet indicated how he will plead, remains on bail. Judge Smyth warned him that he must notify the prosecution if he intended to use an alibi witness during his trial.

The judge also ordered gardaí to hand over copies of video interviews to the man’s solicitor.

Following a defence request, a condition of bail was changed; Mr D’Arcy, who is unemployed, must sign one day a week instead of three, at a garda station.

Earlier, Detective Garda Aoife O’Brien told Judge Smyth that the accused “made no reply” when he was charged at Raheny station.

He had to provide gardaí with his mobile phone number and remain contactable, must have no internet access and not to be unsupervised in the company of a person under the age of 18, under the terms of bail.