Man arrested over alleged online harassment of Limerick politician

Cllr Elisa O’Donovan made complaint after receiving lewd image via WhatsApp last month

Elisa O’Donovan, an independent member of Limerick City and Council, made a complaint about receiving an unsolicited nude picture via WhatsApp on May 1st. File photograph: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images.
Elisa O’Donovan, an independent member of Limerick City and Council, made a complaint about receiving an unsolicited nude picture via WhatsApp on May 1st. File photograph: Sajjad Hussain/AFP via Getty Images.

Gardaí­are preparing a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions following the arrest of a man suspected of harassing a councillor by sending her lewd photographs.

Elisa O’Donovan, an independent member of Limerick City and Council, made a complaint about receiving an unsolicited nude picture via WhatsApp on May 1st.

She said similar incidents had “been happening since I got elected really, but I’ve only started highlighting it this year as ignoring it doesn’t make it stop”.

Gardaí­confirmed that a man in his 30s was arrested this week “in connection with the alleged online harassment of a public representative” in Co Limerick.

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He was detained Henry Street station in Limerick and then released without charge with a file being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, a Garda spokeswoman said.

Ms O’Donovan said she was “grateful” for the hard work of gardaí and that she hoped it sent “a strong message” to others that such harassment and is wrong.