A MAN ALLEGEDLY broke a protection order by posting an “indecent” image of his ex-partner online, a court heard.

The accused is in his 30s but cannot be identified due to the Domestic Violence Act’s reporting restrictions.

He appeared at Dublin District Court on Saturday charged with breaking the order taken out by the woman in family law proceedings. It was alleged that in recent days, he sent or uploaded an “intimate” image of his former partner to one of her social media accounts, which family members saw.

The investigating garda objected to bail, telling Judge Michele Finan that the accused allegedly contacted the woman and one of her older children via WhatsApp using her old phone.

The contested bail hearing was told that the messages contained an “indecent” image of the woman taken when they were still together.

The photo was also uploaded to one of her own social media profiles online; gardai suspected he had her password because he still possessed her old phone and SIM card.

The judge heard the image was seen by one of her children, family and others, and it has left the woman, who was not in court, “distraught” and “embarrassed”.

The court was also told she was afraid of him and had been granted the protection order less than a month ago, with claims of previous violent incidents.

Defence counsel Kevin McCrave submitted that his client lived in a different area than his ex-partner and used an intermediary to help organise child access visits, and he would abide by conditions.

Judge Finan granted bail but warned him to obey strict terms and strenuously warned that he would remanded into prison custody if he breached them.

She ordered him to abide by the protection order and have no contact with the woman or one of her children until the case concluded.

He must use email and a third party to organise access subject to terms of a family court order and to stay away from the district where she lives.

“He can have a phone but not be on social media,” the judge ordered.

The man addressed the court concerning custody arrangements and agreeing to the bail terms, saying, “I am not on social media”, but has still to enter a plea.

He was granted legal aid and ordered to appear in court later this month while the investigating garda was ordered to disclose prosecution evidence to the defence..