Man detained in raid on Mierová Street in Bratislava remains free
A man accused of possession of child pornography following a raid on Mierová Street in Bratislava has appeared before court. The judge ruled that he will not be remanded in custody.
Accused of child pornography: court rejects custody after raid in Bratislava
Nový Čas reports that the police operation on Mierová Street in Bratislava on 3 September has had a court hearing. The man detained during a raid in an apartment building appeared before a judge for preliminary proceedings at Bratislava City Court on Thursday 6 September. A decision was to be made on whether he would be remanded in custody.
A police escort brought the accused to court approximately twenty minutes before the scheduled start of the hearing. With handcuffs on his hands, he passed into the building without a word. He made no comment to journalists regarding the allegations.
The judge issued a ruling after less than half an hour: the accused man will not go into custody and left the court a free man. The prosecutor also waived the right to lodge an appeal against this ruling. The man will be prosecuted while at liberty.
The accused faces serious allegations — according to investigators, he possessed child pornography materials and participated in child pornographic performances. The content of the evidence material secured during the raid remains the subject of an ongoing investigation.
The raid itself took place on Thursday 3 September in the morning. Police intervened on suspicion of distributing extreme pornography. Officers removed several bags of evidence material from the apartment building. The attention of passers-by and residents of the house was drawn particularly to activity on the second floor, where the main operation took place.
The operation involved officers from the District Police Headquarters of the Police Force Bratislava I in cooperation with a Rapid motorised unit and other departments. Investigators managed to detain one person, who was subsequently taken for questioning. After questioning, the man was formally accused and the case was forwarded to court.
Source: Nový Čas