Ireland Case No. 0023Harmful communication · Co. Wicklow · 21 Jun 2024
Kirk Loco acquitted of a harmful communication charge in Wicklow
A social media post published on 21 June 2024 claimed an intoxicated Palestinian international protection applicant, known only as MM, living in Trudder House, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, had exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl on a 133 bus. Kirk Loco, a 44-year-old social media commentator from Rathnew, Co. Wicklow (reports differ, giving 45), was arrested in October 2024 and charged in November 2025 with distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication with intent to cause harm. He pleaded not guilty at Bray District Court on 23 October 2026 and was acquitted of the charge on 29 October 2026.
- Reportednot reported
- Arrested15 Oct
6 reports - Charged1 Nov
- In court3 Nov
7 reports - Acquitted29 Oct
- Sentenced
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet
Key facts
consolidated from all reports- What happened
- A social media post published on 21 June 2024 claimed an intoxicated migrant living in Trudder House, Newtownmountkennedy, had exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl on a 133 bus.
- Where
- The alleged bus incident and the IPAS centre are in Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow.
- When
- The post was published on 21 June 2024.
- Cause
- The post contained a photograph of a man asleep on a bus and encouraged others to share the details of the alleged incident.
- Investigation
- Gardaí established the allegation was unfounded and false, with CCTV showing the man did not approach young girls during the journey.
- A residence in south Wicklow was searched and several mobile phones and electronic devices were seized.
- Charges
- The initial arrest in October 2024 was under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act 1976, and Loco was formally charged in November 2025 under Section 4(1) and 4(3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020.
- In court
- Loco appeared at Bray District Court on 3 November 2025, made no reply to the charge, and was remanded on bail.
- At a hearing on 8 December 2025, free legal aid was granted and he was remanded on continuing bail to 16 February 2026.
- Loco pleaded not guilty at Bray District Court on 23 October 2026 and the trial was adjourned.
- Sentence
- Loco was acquitted of the criminal charges on 29 October 2026.
- Other details
- The victim is a Palestinian international protection applicant known only as MM, whose name cannot be published for legal reasons.
- The post was first shared on X and then on Facebook and Telegram, and tagged several high-profile anti-immigrant activists.
126 statements extracted from the articles
- whatA man was arrested following the circulation of false allegations online. (extra.ie)
- whatA man in his 40s was arrested in Co Wicklow (dublinlive.ie)
- whatSeveral mobile phones and electronic devices were seized from the residence (dublinlive.ie)
- whatAn image of a man on a bus in Newtownmountkennedy was circulated online with claims of inappropriate behaviour towards a minor (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe publication caused serious anxiety and concern to the individual depicted (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe publication created alarm and concern in the local community (dublinlive.ie)
- whatA man has been held over a false social media post about an immigrant. (extra.ie)
- whatThe suspect was arrested on suspicion of creating and circulating a social media post with false and damaging claims about a migrant man. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe post claimed the man was a migrant and had exposed himself to women and girls on the bus journey. (irishtimes.com)
- whatThe investigation concerns the creation and dissemination of false allegations on social media. (garda.ie)
- whatKirk Loco has been charged over the alleged sharing of false information on social media about an international protection applicant. (irishtimes.com)
- whatLoco was charged with distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication about an individual known only as MM, with intent to cause harm. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe post claimed an intoxicated migrant living in Trudder House, Newtownmountkennedy, had exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl on a 133 bus. (thejournal.ie)
- whatKirk Loco appeared at Bray District Court on a charge of distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication about an individual known as MM, with intent to cause harm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatKirk Loco, 44, of Waverly Meadow, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, was charged with distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication about a resident of an IPAS centre with intent to cause harm. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe post claimed an intoxicated migrant living in Trudder House, Newtownmountkennedy, Co. Wicklow, had exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl on a 133 bus the previous evening. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe post contained a photo of a male asleep on a bus and encouraged others to share the details of the alleged incident. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe post stated that anyone who welcomed such men to Newtownmountkennedy or made donations or promoted togetherness and integration were to blame. (irishmirror.ie)
- whatThe post tagged a number of high-profile anti-immigrant activists. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie, thejournal.ie)
- whatKirk Loco, 44, of Waverly Meadow, Rathnew, Co. Wicklow, was accused of distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication about a resident of an IPAS centre with intent to cause harm. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe post stated that anyone who welcomed such men to Newtownmountkennedy or made donations or promoted integration were to blame and accused them of 'cheering on pedophilia'. (dublinlive.ie)
- whatThe tweet claimed an intoxicated migrant in Trudder House exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl on a 133 bus on 20 July 2024. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe post contained a photo of a male asleep on a bus and encouraged others to share the details. (thejournal.ie)
- whatA teenage girl gave evidence that another woman on the bus warned her about a man exposing himself. (thejournal.ie)
- whatThe applicant said he fell asleep on the bus after taking painkillers for a dental filling and denied being intoxicated or harassing anyone. (thejournal.ie)
- whatCCTV showed he moved into a seat with a young woman before moving back to the seat in front of her. (thejournal.ie)
- whatBus driver Leslie Keegan stopped the bus after a woman told him she felt uncomfortable about another passenger. (thejournal.ie)
- whatKeegan saw a man rolled up in a ball at the back of the bus asleep or pretending to be asleep. (thejournal.ie)
- whatKeegan did not see anything that warranted alerting gardaí. (thejournal.ie)
- whatCCTV showed the applicant was talking to other passengers 38 seconds before the driver approached him. (thejournal.ie)
- whatLoco admitted he operated and had full control of an X account in the name of Terry K. (thejournal.ie)
- whatKirk Loco is a social media commentator (gript.ie)
- whatKirk Loco is 44 years old (gript.ie)
- whatKirk Loco was acquitted of criminal charges. (gript.ie)
- whatThe tweet was related to an alleged incident on a bus. (gript.ie)
- whereA residence in south Wicklow was searched (dublinlive.ie)
- whereA man in Wicklow was arrested as part of an ongoing investigation into false allegations on social media. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereGardaí searched a residential property in south Wicklow and seized several mobile phones and electronic devices. (irishmirror.ie)
- whereThe arrest followed a search of a private residence in south Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe photograph used in the post showed a man asleep on a bus travelling to Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- whereThe false claim concerned a bus near Newtownmountkennedy in Co Wicklow. (thejournal.ie)
- whereThe investigation concerns false social media reports in County Wicklow. (garda.ie)
- whereMr Loco has an address in Rathnew, Co Wicklow. (irishtimes.com)
- whereLoco appeared before Bray District Court. (thejournal.ie)
- whereKirk Loco is from Rathnew, County Wicklow (gript.ie)
- whereThe alleged bus incident involved an asylum seeker from Trudder House IPAS centre. (gript.ie)
- whenThe false allegation was made in June 2024 (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe investigation began in June 2024. (irishmirror.ie)
- whenThe arrest took place on a Tuesday, and the suspect was released from custody on the Wednesday. (irishtimes.com)
- whenGardaí made the arrest the day before the article was published. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe man was arrested on the morning of Monday 3 November 2025. (garda.ie)
- whenThe social media content was allegedly shared in June 2024. (irishtimes.com)
- whenThe alleged offence was a social media post published on 21 June 2024. (thejournal.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- whenLoco was formally charged at Bray Garda Station at 8.03am. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe alleged social media post was published on 21 June 2024. (dublinlive.ie)
- whenThe alleged offence was a post published on his X account on 21 June 2024. (thejournal.ie)
- whenThe alleged offence was a social media post made on June 21, 2024 (gript.ie)
- causeAn image of a man on a bus was shared online with claims he behaved inappropriately towards a minor. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGarda inquiries established the allegation was unfounded and false (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe investigation is ongoing (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationThe man is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Wicklow garda station (dublinlive.ie)
- investigationGardaí established the allegation of inappropriate activity towards a minor, or anyone else, was unfounded and false. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí confirmed the investigation is ongoing. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationPhones and other devices were seized for examination. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationGardaí found the allegations in the post to be unfounded and false. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationThe man was arrested over the creation and dissemination of false allegations on social media. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí said the claim was false after an inquiry found no complaints had been made about the man's behaviour. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationCCTV from inside the bus showed the man did not approach young girls during the journey. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationInvestigations into the social platforms where the claim was shared helped identify the suspect. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationInvestigations are ongoing. (garda.ie)
- investigationHe was arrested early on Monday morning and brought to Bray Garda station, where the charge was put to him. (irishtimes.com)
- investigationA garda gave evidence that Loco was arrested at his home at 7.05am. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationGardaí arrested Mr Loco at his home at 7.05am on the day of the court appearance. (irishmirror.ie)
- investigationGardaí received no reports about any incident on the bus. (thejournal.ie)
- investigationCCTV footage showed it was clearly not the case that someone had exposed themselves to a 14-year-old girl on the bus. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe alleged offence is under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976 (dublinlive.ie)
- chargeThe man is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 for an alleged offence under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976, at a Garda station in County Wicklow. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeThe suspect was being questioned on suspicion of an offence contrary to Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe arrest was made under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act 1976. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man was released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeThe man has been charged. (garda.ie)
- chargeHe is charged with distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication with intent to cause harm. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeThe alleged offence is contrary to the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. (irishtimes.com)
- chargeLoco was charged under Section 4 (1) and 4 (3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. (thejournal.ie)
- chargeMr Loco was formally charged at Bray Garda Station at 8.03am. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeMr Loco made no reply to the charge after being cautioned. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeMr Loco is charged under Section 4 (1) and 4 (3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. (irishmirror.ie)
- chargeHe is charged under Section 4(1) and 4(3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- chargeHe faces charges under Section 4(1) and 4(3) of the Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Act 2020 (gript.ie)
- chargeHe is accused of distributing or publishing a threatening or grossly offensive communication about an IPAS centre resident with intent to cause harm (gript.ie)
- chargeThe charges stemmed from a tweet. (gript.ie)
- courtA file is to be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. (irishtimes.com)
- courtThe man is scheduled to appear before Bray District Court at about 10.30am. (garda.ie)
- courtHe appeared before Judge David Kennedy at Bray District Court on Monday morning. (irishtimes.com)
- courtHe was granted bail and is due to appear at Bray District Court again on 8 December. (irishtimes.com)
- courtGardaí had no objection to bail but sought a condition that Loco keep away from Ipas centres and not attend protests or demonstrations. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe DPP directed that the charge could be dealt with summarily at District Court level. (thejournal.ie, irishmirror.ie)
- courtLoco's legal aid application is pending, as the judge reserved a decision until he files a statement of means. (thejournal.ie)
- courtGardaí had no objection to bail. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtGardaí sought a bail condition that Mr Loco keep away from IPAS centres and not attend protests or demonstrations. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge Kennedy reserved his decision on the legal aid application until Mr Loco filed a statement of his means. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtMr Loco was remanded on bail to appear again on 8 December. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtJudge Shannon granted free legal aid backdated to his first court appearance on 3 November 2025. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtHe was remanded on continuing bail to appear before the same court on 16 February 2026. (irishmirror.ie, dublinlive.ie)
- courtAt a previous sitting the prior month, Mr Loco made no reply to the charge after being cautioned. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtGardaí sought a bail condition that the accused keep away from IPAS centres and does not attend any demonstrations or protests. (irishmirror.ie)
- courtHe appeared at Bray District Court before Judge Áine Shannon on 8 December 2025. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtFree legal aid was granted backdated to his first court appearance on 3 November. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtGardaí sought a bail condition that he keep away from IPAS centres and not attend any demonstrations or protests. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtAt a previous sitting last month, he made no reply to the charge after being cautioned. (dublinlive.ie)
- courtKirk Loco pleaded not guilty at Bray District Court on 23 October 2026. (thejournal.ie)
- courtThe trial was adjourned and will resume the following week. (thejournal.ie)
- courtKirk Loco denied the charge of making a harmful communication (gript.ie)
- sentenceLoco was remanded on bail to appear again on 8 December. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe false allegation caused serious anxiety and concern to the man depicted. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherA man in his 40s was arrested at the scene. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherThe post caused serious anxiety and concern to the man depicted. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe arrest is believed to be the first of its kind for creating and circulating false social media posts that did not include threats of violence. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe claim was first posted on X and then shared on Facebook and Telegram. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe post allegedly included a photograph of a man asleep on a bus to Newtownmountkennedy and claimed he was a migrant who had exposed himself to women and girls. (irishtimes.com)
- otherThe social media post allegedly contained false claims about an asylum seeker. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe alleged post claimed an intoxicated migrant living in Newtownmountkennedy had exposed himself to a 14-year-old girl on a bus the previous evening. (irishmirror.ie)
- otherHis weekly salary is €700. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherThe legislation is known colloquially as Coco's Law, implemented after the 2018 death of Nicole 'Coco' Fox who died by suicide after enduring severe online abuse. (dublinlive.ie)
- otherGarda Doyle said he was a media spokesperson for the Newtown Says No group. (thejournal.ie)
- otherThe international protection applicant is a Palestinian whose name cannot be published for legal reasons. (thejournal.ie)
The reporting
newest first- 29 Oct2026Kirk Loco acquitted of charges over X post - Gript
Reports that Kirk Loco was acquitted of the criminal charges, which stemmed from a tweet about an alleged bus incident involving an asylum seeker from Trudder House IPAS centre.
accused, Kirk Loco, namedKirk Locovictim - 23 Oct2026Man denies making harmful communication re asylum seeker
Reports that Kirk Loco is on trial and denies the charge of making a harmful communication about an IPAS centre resident via a social media post.
accused, Kirk Loco, 44, male, namedKirk Locovictim - 1 Oct2026Tweet alleging asylum seeker exposed himself on bus caused fear in Wicklow town, trial hears
Reports on the first day of trial at Bray District Court, including evidence from gardaí, the teenage girl, the bus driver, and the international protection applicant. The trial was adjourned to resume the following week.
accused, Kirk Loco, 45, male, named, irish (judged from name)Kirk Locovictim, male, Palestinian, non-irishvictim, female - 9 Dec2025Man charged over post alleging migrant exposed himself to teen on bus
Details of the 8 December 2025 court appearance including the content of the alleged post, bail conditions sought by Gardaí, free legal aid application, and the next court date of 16 February 2026.
- 8 Dec2025Wicklow man charged over post alleging migrant exposed himself to teen on bus
First court appearance; free legal aid granted; remanded on continuing bail to 16 February 2026 to enter a plea.
- 3 Nov2025Man in court over social media post allegedly containing false claims
First report of the case. Covers the arrest, charge at Bray Garda Station, the bail hearing, and the remand to 8 December.
- 3 Nov2025Wicklow man appears in court charged with falsely claiming asylum seeker exposed himself on bus
Adds details of the arrest at Loco's home, his charge at Bray Garda Station, the court appearance before Judge David Kennedy, bail terms, the pending legal aid application and the next court date of 8 December.
accused, Kirk Loco, 44, male, namedKirk Locovictim - 3 Nov2025Man appears in court over false social media claims about migrant
First report of the charge and court appearance. Adds the court, the bail decision, the next court date, the alleged June 2024 sharing date and the statute cited.
accused, Kirk Loco, 44, male, namedKirk Loco - 1 Nov2025Update: Court Appearance - Investigation into False Social Media Reports in County Wicklow – June 2024
Garda update on a specific arrest and charge in a Wicklow investigation into false social media allegations, with a Bray District Court appearance scheduled. No existing case in the list matches this incident.
accused, 40s, male - 16 Oct2024A man spread a false claim about an asylum seeker online: Gardaí are using a 1976 law to investigate
Reports the arrest under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act 1976 over a false online claim, the release without charge, and the file to the DPP. The article also describes a new Garda strategy, but the case itself is one specific arrest.
suspect, 40s, male - 16 Oct2024Gardaí make first ever arrest over false claims made by far right members on social media
Adds that the suspect was arrested after a search of a residence and released on Wednesday, with phones and devices seized and a file to go to the DPP. It identifies the suspected offence as contrary to Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976, and says the post was made in June and the allegations were found to be unfounded and false.
suspect, 40s, malevictim, male - 16 Oct2024Gardai arrest man as part of investigation into false social media reports
Adds the arrest of a man in his 40s in south Wicklow, the detention at a Garda station, the seizure of phones and devices, and Garda confirmation that the allegation was unfounded and false.
suspect, 40s, malevictim, male - 16 Oct2024Man held over false social media post about immigrant
Only the headline is present; the article body is template code, so the location, date, offence and other details are not stated.
suspect, male - 15 Oct2024Man, 40s, arrested over probe into false allegations that spread online
Reports the arrest of the man in his 40s and the search of a residence in south Wicklow where mobile phones and electronic devices were seized. Confirms Garda inquiries established the allegation was unfounded and false, and that the man is detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 for an alleged offence under Section 12(a) of the Criminal Law Act, 1976.
suspect, 40s, malevictim, male - 15 Oct2024Man arrested following circulation of false allegations online
The headline is the only usable content. The body is unrendered template markup with no date, place, names or details of the allegations.
suspect, male