At the appeal hearing last week, Judge John Edwards noted that not a “single one” of those who provided a reference for Daniel Ramamoorthy (40) mentioned the victim or the “vile nature” of the crime.

The man, who is in his 20s, has been in custody since being arrested in the Letterkenny area in July.

Gardaí were told that McInerney had been in communication with two people who he believed were 14-year-old girls