Cops RAID Paedophile Producers' RTE Dublin HQ

[Ladybbird]

Cops Probing Paedophile Producer RAID RTE Dublin HQ

Cops swooped on Kieran Creaven RTE Dublin HQ & seized stash of electronic devices

The Sun UK & Ireland 5 DEC 2021.








Prolific paedophile Kieran CreavenCredit: Glen Minikin - The Sun Dublin



GARDAI searched RTE HQ as part of their investigation into paedophile producer Kieran Creaven.

The Irish Sun on Sunday can reveal computers, phones and other evidence were seized by cops during searches of the Montrose base.

RTE studios at Montrose, Donnybrook, Dublin, was searched by gardai as part of their probe into Creaven's child abuse campaignCredit: Crispin Rodwell - The Sun Dublin

The sicko sports producer, who videoed himself sexually abusing a child in the Philippines while saying she was “beautiful”, was this week caged for 10 years.

Gardai launched a probe into Creaven’s child abuse campaign after he was arrested in Leeds in the UK as a result of a sting operation by a vigilante group when he tried to meet what he thought was a 13-year-old girl for sexual activity.

Today we can reveal detectives swooped on RTE headquarters as part of their investigation into the 59-year-old.


ELECTRONIC DEVICES SEIZED

Officers bagged a stash of items including computers used by Creaven and other documents linked to him during the searches.

When asked by the Irish Sun on Sunday about the garda searches at the broadcaster’s base, an RTE spokesperson told us: “RTE provided assistance to An Garda Síochána as requested during its investigation.”

Warped footage and photographs of children being sexually abused were found on Creaven’s own electronic devices.

There is no suggestion that RTE were aware of any of Creaven’s criminal activities before he was rumbled by cops.

When quizzed by the Irish Sun on Sunday, RTE refused to respond to a series of questions about the monster.


UNANSWERED QUESTIONS

We asked whether evidence was found that any of the devices supplied by RTE to Creaven were used to access child pornography.

This paper also asked whether evidence was uncovered of the beast accessing inappropriate sites on work computers.

We enquired as to whether any inappropriate material was discovered on Creaven’s devices during his time with RTE - and whether any red flags were raised.

We also asked whether any of Creaven’s foreign trips for RTE coincided with his crimes abroad.

And we quizzed RTE on whether it had launch an internal probe following their producer’s arrest.

RTE failed to address any of these queries and would only say: “Kieran Creaven was dismissed by RTE with immediate effect following his guilty plea to charges made against him during legal proceedings in Leeds Crown Court on Monday 18th December 2017.”

News of Creaven’s depraved criminal activities caused “total shock” at the broadcaster and there is no suggestion that RTE were aware of his twisted child abuse campaign.


TRANSPARENCY CALL

Sickened staff at RTE last night told the Irish Sun on Sunday there are “lots of unanswered questions” in relation to Creaven and his time at the broadcaster.

One said: “There needs to be more transparency.

“Gardai visited RTE following Creaven’s arrest in Leeds to seize equipment. There are so many questions for RTE about what went on.

“Were his devices at RTE used to access child pornography? Did he use any of his times abroad to abuse kids cone on company time? Was an investigation probe launched into him after cops got in touch with RTE?

“Were any red flags raised about sites he visited on work computers? Was there anything strange found on his devices when they serviced over the years?

“Now that the sentence has been handed down there is no reason not to answer these questions.”

The former sports producer pleaded guilty to offences in the UK in 2017. He was arrested in Leeds as a result of a sting operation by a vigilante group when he tried to meet a child for sexual activity.

He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment.

Gardai charged him last year with a number of further offences relating to child exploitation, sexual assault, and possession of child abuse material.

Creaven, of Adelaide Street, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, admitted ten counts, including four counts of child exploitation, two counts of sexually assaulting a child and four counts of child pornography.

The offences took place in Ireland, the UK and the Philippines in 2014 and 2017. He has been in custody since October last year and appeared via video-link for his sentence hearing on Friday.


FIVE KIDS RESCUED

Gardai revealed last night that five children in the Philippines have been rescued following the investigation into prolific abuser Creaven.

The former RTE Sports producer has repeatedly refused to help cops identify any of the children he sexually abused online or in person in Ireland, the UK or the Philippines.

While the Creaven investigation has been completed with the brute now serving a 10 year sentence, detectives at the Garda’s Online Child Exploitation Unit are still trying to identify some of his victims.

Gardai have so far been unable to identify and find a girl in the Philippines who Creaven filmed as he sexually abused her.

They are also still trying to identify some of the children in Ireland whom he had been in contact with on social media platforms including Facebook and Skype.

But it emerged last night detectives have made a breakthrough in tracking some of Creaven’s victims.

Gardai trawled Creaven’s vile communications and financial transfers for clues - leading them to an address in the Philippines where he had sent money after he had sexually abused children there.

He paid €40 for the abuse of some children in Manila and when his credit card failed to work on another occasion he sent over dollars.

Officers at the Online Child Exploitation Unit teamed-up with Interpol and the police in the Philippines amid the push to track down victims.

And as a result of the investigation, five children who were subjected to child sexual abuse were rescued at the address in the Philippines and repatriated to places of safety.


NEW CREAVEN APPEAL

Gardai have issued a fresh appeal for anyone with information about the beast or any more of his victims to come forward - with cops admitting they don’t know how many kids were abused as he refused to cooperate.

Detective Garda Johanna Doyle told Kerida Naidoo SC, prosecuting, that Creaven’s Dublin home was searched in 2017 when he was arrested in the UK and a number of devices were seized.

Gardai also made enquiries with online companies including Facebook, Skype and Paypal.

Two videos were found on a memory card, which showed Creaven videoing himself sexually assaulting a girl between the age of ten and 12 in the Philippines in 2014, the court heard.

At times, another adult present took over the recording.

Creavan was identifiable by his “distinctive tattoos” and his face was visible in the videos, which were 15 minutes and six minutes long respectively, the court heard.

The videos were shot on October 12 and 16, 2014, and involved the same child.

A baby under the age of one was present on the first occasion and could be seen lying on the same bed as the child Creaven was abusing.

Gardai found records of a Skype chat between Creaven and an account in the Philippines in November 2017. During this chat, Creaven paid €40 to view the child.

He later told the adult operating the account he was having trouble with his credit card and he asked for her address to send cash to.

Gardai discovered Creaven also engaged in sexual conversations with three children on Facebook in Ireland in June and July, 2017.

In court, Lorcan Staines SC, defending, said his client was remorseful and had shown insight into his offending. He added that the arrest had been a “watershed moment” for him.

But Judge Melanie Greally told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court the acts were “pre-meditated and planned” and she had to take into consideration the “age and vulnerability” of the victims in question.





The Predator Exposure group that snared Craven, with the brute reported to cops when he flew to Leeds to meet a fictitious girl for sexual activity only to be instead be confronted by the group