A former vet who is wanted to face multiple charges of sexual activity with animals and of having extreme pornographic material has appeared before the High Court on foot of an extradition warrant.
Oliver Lown, 35, with an address at Main Road, Kesgrave, Suffolk, is wanted by authorities in the UK to face 12 offences, which also include making indecent images of children.
The warrant states that 1,219 extreme pornographic images, of which 1,067 are unique, were recovered from the hard drive of Mr Lown's laptop as well as 3,512 extreme pornographic videos, of which 3,511 are unique.
Other images recovered include 66 category A indecent images of which 43 are unique, 36 category B indecent images of which 26 are unique and 33 category C indecent images of which 23 are unique.
The warrant also states that Mr Lown is charged with offences including sexual activity with animals, making indecent photographs of children and possessing extreme pornographic images portraying sexual activity with an animal.
Mr Lown was arrested by detectives from the garda's extradition unit yesterday and taken to Letterkenny Garda Station following the endorsement of a European Arrest Warrant issued by the police in Suffolk.
The former vet appeared before Mr Justice Paul Burns in the High Court.
Detective Sergeant Jim Kirwan of the Garda Extradition Unit told Aoife Carroll BL, for the State, that he was on duty yesterday in Kilmacrenan in Co Donegal and called to an address at Gortnaskea near Letterkenny at 6.37pm, where he arrested Mr Lown on foot of the warrant and cautioned him.
Det Sgt Kirwan said he introduced himself to Mr Lown and showed him his ID card.
He said that Mr Lown agreed that his name was Oliver Lown and that one of the aliases he used was Ollie Fraser Henderson, while his place of birth was in Ipswich in the UK.
The detective said he showed Mr Lown a photograph which he agreed was him.
Det Sgt Kirwan said he informed Mr Lown that he had an EAW for his arrest and showed him a copy of the original warrant, which had been endorsed by the High Court for execution.
The detective said he also informed Mr Lown of his right to consent to his surrender to the issuing state, namely the UK and gave him a copy of the EAW.
Outlining the offences facing Mr Lown, Det Sgt Kirwan said the warrant relates to 12 offences relating to images found on a computer on 4 April 2019 in Kesgrave in Suffolk.
The detective said he read the summary of offences contained in the warrant to the respondent and asked him whether he knew what they were about, which Mr Lown indicated he did.
Mr Lown was then taken to Letterkenny Garda Station.
Det Sgt Kirwan said he was satisfied that the person named on the warrant was the person he arrested. He told Kieran Kelly BL, for the respondent, that the warrant stated that Mr Lown seemed to be in breach of his bail in the UK.
After Det Sgt Kirwan gave evidence of Mr Lown's arrest, Mr Justice Burns said he was satisfied the person before him was the person to whom the warrant related.
The judge informed Mr Lown of his rights and told him that he is entitled to voluntarily surrender himself to the UK authorities between now and the hearing date.
Mr Justice Burns fixed 26 February as the date for the full hearing of the extradition case.
He remanded Mr Lown in custody until that date, when an application for bail is expected to be made.
