A Catholic priest has pleaded guilty to 109 sex offences against children after he was confronted by so-called “paedophile hunters” outside a hotel.
Edward Gallagher, 59, admitted the offences at Londonderry Crown Court after previously being arrested following the confrontation in Derry.
The offences relate to the online sexual abuse of male children and took place between June 22, 2023 and April 18, 2025.
READ MORE: Masked pyro thugs set cafe ablaze in dead of night
Gallagher pleaded guilty to all 109 charges when they were put to him during a video-link hearing, as reported by Need To Know.
The offences include 43 counts of attempting to sexually communicate with male children and a further 43 charges of attempting to encourage male children to distribute or show indecent images of children.
He also admitted 13 charges of possessing indecent images or photographs of male children, two charges of possessing prohibited images of children and one charge of possessing an extreme pornographic image.
There were also five charges of attempting to incite male children to engage in sexual acts, one charge of distributing or showing an indecent image of a child and one charge relating to an adult attempting to engage in a sexual act in the presence of a male child for sexual gratification.
Gallagher was initially facing 116 child sex offence charges when he appeared before Londonderry Magistrates’ Court in July.
He was returned for trial at the Crown Court after the prosecution said there was a case to answer, with the charges including sexual communication with children, possessing indecent images and inciting children under 16 to engage in sexual activity.
His case first came to public attention in April last year when he was confronted outside a hotel in the Waterside area of Derry by self-styled “paedophile hunters”.
Footage of the confrontation was shared on social media and showed the group confronting the priest and telling him police had been informed.
The Diocese of Derry confirmed at the time that it was aware of the incident and that the PSNI had been involved.
Gallagher was arrested and charged with attempting to sexually communicate with a child between April 2 and April 17, 2025.
He appeared in court via video link from Strand Road Police Station and was remanded in custody, with a police officer telling the court that they believed they could connect him to the charge.
As the investigation developed, police were also examining electronic devices and were working with other police services to contact possible victims.
A court was told in October 2025 that detectives had completed the examination of the devices and that the process of contacting potential victims could “potentially take a very long time”.
Gallagher, who is originally from Londonderry, has served in a number of parishes across the Diocese of Derry.
He was parish priest of Greencastle and Badoney Lower Parish in Co Tyrone between 2015 and 2022 before later serving in Donegal.
At the time of his arrest, he was a curate at the Clonleigh, Camus and Leckpatrick parishes and was suspended from ministry by the Diocese of Derry.
Following his guilty pleas, Gallagher was immediately placed on the Sex Offender’s Register and remains in custody.
He is due to be sentenced on December 9, with a pre-sentencing report ordered by the court.
The Bishop of Derry, Michael Router, has said he will petition the Vatican to have Gallagher permanently removed from the priesthood.
He said the case had caused “immense distress” to victims and survivors, as well as parishioners, families, clergy and the wider community.
The bishop said the Diocese would seek “the most serious penalty available under Church law” and described Gallagher’s conduct as a “radical betrayal” of the trust placed in priests.
He also urged anyone who had experienced abuse or inappropriate behaviour to come forward.
Gallagher’s defence barrister Stephen Mooney told the court: “By his guilty pleas the facts of this case are what they are.”
The PSNI welcomed the guilty plea and said it now awaited sentencing.
READ MORE: Brit fraudster who conned pensioners out of millions finally behind bars
