Garda appeal against sex conviction begins
The Circuit Court in Dublin has begun hearing an appeal by a Garda Sergeant against his conviction for soliciting sex with a 13-year-old girl.
Garda sergeant Gerard Lynch is due to serve a nine month prison sentence if his appeal fails.
The charge came after an undercover operation by Limerick gardai last year.
Gerard Lynch, who was serving at Malahide Garda station, maintains he was on an undercover solo mission.
He was released on bail pending his appeal against conviction which has just begun this afternoon.
Garda Sergeant Anne-Marie McMahon who posed as an undercover madam, told the court she believed that the man she spoke to on the phone about young girls is Gerard Lynch.
Unlike previous court appearances where he shielded his appearance, he has walked purposefully with his current partner into court.
