'Pilgrim' found guilty of indecent exposure at Knock Shrine

A 71-year-old former Franciscan Brother has been found guilty by a judge of indecent exposure at Knock Shrine.

Christopher McCarthy, 9 Sharwood Estate, Newcastlewest, Co. Limerick, denied the offences before Judge Alan Mitchell at Castlebar District Court today .

He was charged with exposing and stimulating himself before an 18-year-old male teenager.

The accused told the court he had travelled to Knock by bus on September 17, 2017, to celebrate the Feast Day of Padre Pio.

He admitted knocking on the door of the toilet cubicle but said he had only done so because the other two cubicles were not very clean. He denied seeing the youngster enter the toilet earlier.

The victim identified Christopher McCarthy in court as the man he had seen exposing himself on the date in question.

He said he had been confused and in a state of disbelief over what was happening and still gets flashbacks.

Judge Mitchell, summing up, said the the evidence of the injured party was the most credible and he was satisfied beyond a reasonable doubt to convict.

After finding the defendant guilty, the judge put back sentencing until later in the year to allow for the preparation of a Probation Report.

The matter will come before Judge Mitchell again – for mention – on March 20.

Reporting restrictions were imposed by Judge Mitchell prohibiting the naming of the victim in media reporting of the case.

However, the judge refused an application by defence solicitor John Cussen that McCarthy not be named in media coverage because of the “profound effect it would have on my client.”