Gardaí arrested for the first time over false claims made by far-right members on social media – The Irish Times

Gardaí have arrested a far-right agitator on suspicion he created and distributed a social media post making false and damaging claims about a migrant. The arrest is believed to be the first of its kind for creating and distributing false social media posts that did not contain threats of violence.

The fact that criminal investigations have been launched into such social media posts appears to represent a significant change in the way the Garda deals with such content. The suspect, a man in his 40s, was arrested on Tuesday following a search of a private home in South Wicklow, during which a number of phones and other devices were also seized for examination.

Garda sources said the arrest, made under a law passed 38 years ago, was likely to prove a “test case for tackling these types of social media posts” in the future. The suspect was interviewed on suspicion of committing an offense contrary to Section 12(a) of the Criminal Justice Act 1976.

According to this provision, anyone who “knowingly makes a false report or statement” that “suggests that a crime has been committed” and that gives rise to “concern as to the safety of persons or property” has committed a crime. If convicted, this offense is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Among the content at the center of the criminal investigation was a photograph of a man sleeping on a bus traveling to Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. The post claimed the man was a migrant and exposed himself to women and girls on the bus ride before falling asleep.

It was claimed that the man pictured in the photo published in the June post was an applicant for international protection (IPA) living in Trudder House on the outskirts of the city. Weeks earlier, violent clashes broke out outside Trudder House between gardaí and anti-migration protesters who attempted to block the building’s use as a center for IPAs.

The atmosphere in the area remained tense for months, even after IPAs were moved to the center. The false social media post was made during this time of heightened tensions. The suspect arrested on Tuesday is considered a right-wing extremist agitator and was also involved in the protest at Trudder House.

Garda headquarters confirmed that a suspect was arrested in County Wicklow on Tuesday “as part of an ongoing investigation into the creation and spread of false allegations on social media”.

It said the criminal investigation began in June “when an image of a man traveling on a bus in Newtownmountkennedy was circulated online, accompanied by allegations that he had behaved inappropriately towards a minor”.

These claims were investigated by gardaí and the allegation of inappropriate activity “towards a minor or any other person” was found to be “unfounded and false”. The publication of the post caused “significant concern and concern for the person depicted.” It also caused “concern and concern which tends to raise concerns about the safety of individuals in the local community.”