VIDEO: Priest admits to 109 child sexual abuse offenses

October 7, 202612:47 pm

A 59-year-old priest in Northern Ireland has pleaded guilty to 109 offenses involving the online sexual abuse of boys between June 2023 and April 2025.

Edward Gallagher admitted the charges at Londonderry Crown Court, including 43 counts of attempting to induce children to send or show indecent images and another 43 involving attempts to engage in sexual communications with minors.

He also pleaded guilty to 13 counts of possessing indecent images of children and two counts involving prohibited images of minors. Other charges included possession of an extreme pornographic image, attempting to perform a sexual act in the presence of a child for sexual gratification, and attempting to incite minors to engage in sexual acts.

Gallagher was arrested in April 2025 near a hotel in the Waterside area of Derry. He was subsequently suspended from all priestly and ministerial duties, although he remains a priest.

He is being held at Maghaberry Prison while awaiting sentencing. The court ordered a pre-sentence report and scheduled the sentencing hearing for December 9. Gallagher was also immediately placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

Fr Edward Gallagher, a 58-year-old Catholic priest from Donegal, Ireland, was charged with attempted sexual communication and was remanded in custody.

The video (complete version) is from the confrontation with the predator-hunting team 'Justice Reborn.' pic.twitter.com/FULSF941Z2
— Xaldwin Sealand (@XaldwinSealand) May 18, 2025

Edith Báez

We are a multiplatform outlet offering news and television content. The fastest-growing news outlet in audience in the history of Caribbean communication.