THREE YOUNG CO Clare men appeared in court today in relation to 10 alleged sexual offences against two teenage girls.

At Ennis District Court, two of the accused, one aged 19 and the other aged 20 are charged with the rape of a 17 year old girl on December 27th 2016 at a house in Ennis contrary to Section 4 of the Criminal Law Rape Amendment Act.

The 19-year-old is also charged with the sexual assault of the 17 year old – then aged 16 – on the same date at the same location.

The second alleged female victim in the case is aged 17 and was under the age of 17 at the time of the alleged offences.

The 20-year-old is also facing five separate charges of having sex with a girl under the age of 17 contrary to Section 3 of the Criminal Law Rape Amendment Act.

Those five offences are alleged to have occurred on 27 December 2016 at an Ennis address and 30 July (2), 31 July and 1 August 2016 at addresses in Co Westmeath.

A third male, also aged 20, is charged with having sex with a girl under the age of 17 at an address in north Clare on 27 December 2016.

He is also charged with having sex with a girl under the age of 17 at an address in Co Westmeath on 30 July 2016.

Flight risk

In total, one of the 20-year-olds is facing six charges, the second 20-year-old is facing two charges and the 19-year-old facing two charges.

The court was told that all three made no reply when charged and cautioned with the offences.

In the cases, Judge Patrick Durcan remanded two in custody with consent to bail to 11 July and the third man in custody to this Friday to clarify an issue around his passport.

The 20-year-old and his mother embraced before he was led away by gardaí out of court.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the three are a flight risk and requested that their passports of be surrendered to gardaí.

In respect of the two 20 year olds, they have currently applied for a visa to study overseas and their passports are currently with an overseas embassy in Dublin.

Judge Durcan ordered that all three surrender their passports as part of their bail conditions.

The other bail conditions specify that the three have no contact with the alleged injured parties and that they sign on twice a week at their local Garda station.

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