DUBLIN, Ireland - A man in his 40s has been charged in connection with an investigation into the creation and spread of false allegations on social media, Gardaí have confirmed.
He was arrested on Monday morning following a search in October last year of a house in south Wicklow, during which several mobile phones and electronic devices were seized. The man was charged after his arrest on Monday, and was later due to appear before Bray District Court at approximately 10.30am on Monday.
The investigation began in June 2024 after an image of a man travelling on a bus in Newtownmountkennedy was circulated online, alongside claims that he had behaved inappropriately toward a minor.
Garda inquiries later established that the allegation was entirely false, with no inappropriate behaviour towards a minor or any other person having occurred. Gardaí said the misleading claims caused serious anxiety for the man depicted and created alarm in the local community.
The investigation, Gardai say, remains ongoing.
(File photo).
