Man accused of sex act at Laois playground is named
The leisure centre in Portlaoise, now known as Laois Leisure Portlaoise. File image
A MAN accused of a sex act in a Portlaoise playground skatepark has been named, after a judge lifted reporting restrictions.
At Portlaoise District Court this week, Judge Susan Fay lifted reporting restrictions on a man who had previously been charged with exposing himself in a sexual way, with the intent of causing fear, distress or alarm in another person, at Laois Leisure Centre, Park Drive, Moneyballytyrrell, Portlaoise in August 2023.
The report received by gardaí was that a man had his trousers down, with his penis exposed and he was masturbating in the skateboard area of the children’s playground.
At a previous sitting of the case, there was discussion between the judge and the man’s solicitor, Barry Fitzgerald, on whether the defendant could be identified due to the nature of the charge.
Erring on the side of caution, Judge Fay imposed reporting restrictions and asked Mr Fitzgerald to seek directions on whether his client could be identified by court reporters.
At this week’s hearing on 26 January, Mr Fitzgerald said in this type of case the judge had discretion whether to allow a defendant to be identified in open court.
When the case was first in court, Detective Garda Michael O’Donovan said the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that the case be heard at district court level, if that was accepted by the judge.
He told the court that gardaí received a report of a man acting suspiciously in the skatepark area of the playground in the leisure centre, on the afternoon of 19 August 2023.
Det. O’Donovan said the report received “was about a man who had his trousers down, his penis exposed and masturbating”.
The detective said: “When the manager of the leisure centre approached the man, he zipped up his trousers and walked away.”
Det. O’Donovan said the incident was first reported by a woman, who went into the reception area of the leisure centre at 2.50pm and had her children with her.
Det. O’Donovan said that, when the charge was put to 28-year-old Jaroslav Balog from Millbrook Estate, Portlaoise, he replied: “I want everything to be behind me. I want to settle everything.”
Ruling that the case was too serious to be heard in the district court, Judge Fay refused jurisdiction and remanded Mr Balog on continuing bail to 9 March, for service of a book of evidence.
