A 58-year-old Catholic priest from Donegal has appeared in court charged with attempted sexual communication with a child.
Fr Edward Gallagher, from Orchard Park in Lifford, was arrested on Thursday after an incident outside a hotel in Derry.
He appeared by video link at a special sitting of Derry Magistrates' Court sitting in Dungannon this morning.
Fr Gallagher was charged with attempted sexual communication with a child on dates between 2 and 17 April.
The priest from the Derry Diocese said he understood the charge against him.
A PSNI officer told the court he could connect Fr Gallagher to the charge.
A lawyer for the priest applied for legal aid, saying his client would have been in receipt of a modest stipend but that "the circumstances of this case are such that that will obviously cease."
There was no application for bail, and Fr Gallagher was remanded in custody to appear in court again by video link on 1 May.
