Gardaí arrested a Wicklow man in his 40s under the suspicion that he wrote and spread false claims online about a migrant.

In June 2024, a photo of a male passenger travelling on a public bus in Newtownmountkenedy, Co. Wicklow was widely circulated online with claims he was behaving inappropriately towards a minor.

The social media post in question included a photograph of a sleeping man on a bus and a caption claiming the man was a migrant who had exposed himself on the bus before falling asleep. The claims spread online were investigated, and the allegations of inappropriate activity were found to be “unfounded and false”.

The person suspected of posting the photo was arrested following a search of his home on Tuesday, October 15. His phones and devices were confiscated as part of an ongoing investigation.

The arrest is believed to be the first of its kind since the social media post did not include threats of violence. Garda confirmed the suspect has been arrested “as part of an investigation into the creation and dissemination of false allegations on social media.”

Gardaí are appealing to the public to independently verify social media content before sharing it.

 

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The criminal investigation falls under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976. The law applies to anyone who “knowingly makes a false report or statement” which can lead to “apprehension for the safety of persons or property,” and carries a risk of up to five years of imprisionment.

Gardaí are planning to use this legislation to help tackle far-right agitators spreading false claims on social media.

The person depicted in the photo experienced “serious anxiety and concern” as the post was circulated online. The post also created undue “alarm and concern” regarding the safety of people living in the local community since the post claimed that the man photographed was living in Trudder House, where violent clashes occurred between gardaí and far-right anti-migrant protestors earlier this year.

The suspect in question is a far-right agitator who was involved in the Trudder House protest, and the post was written during this time period of heightened tensions in the area.

The arrested man was detained at a Garda Station in Wicklow, but has since been released. This investigation is ongoing.