Originally published at The Crux
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A priest from the Diocese of Derry has pleaded to guilty to 109 sex offenses, including attempting to encourage a child to engage in sexual activity.
Edward Gallagher, 59, pleaded guilty in Londonderry Crown Court and will be sentenced in December this year for the offenses that took place between June 22 2023 and April 18 2025.
He is currently in custody after being detained outside a hotel in the Waterside area of Derry in April last year.
The charges included 13 charges for having indecent images or photographs of a male child; one charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image; and 43 charges for attempted sexual communication with a child under the age of 16.
He also faced 43 charges of attempting to encourage male children to distribute or show indecent images of photographs of children and five charges of attempting to incite male children to engage in sexual activity.
Bishop Michael Router of Derry said that he would ask the Vatican to remove Gallagher from the priesthood.
“I can confirm that I am petitioning the Holy See to submit the case directly to the Holy Father with a recommendation that Father Edward Gallagher be immediately dismissed from
