William Tormey, an adjunct professor at Trinity’s School of Medicine, has been charged with human trafficking and child pornography possession and is set to face trial later this year.
Tormey first appeared before the court last December where he was served with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial by judge and jury in the Circuit Criminal Court.
He subsequently appeared before Judge Martin Nolan at the Dublin Criminal Courts of Justice earlier this month on February 14.
The case is currently adjourned until May 19 for the arraignment on two charges.
He is charged with knowingly facilitating the entry of a person he knew or had reason to believe was an illegal immigrant into the State. The offence, which is alleged to have taken place at Dublin Airport in August of 2021, is contrary to Section 2 of the Illegal Immigrants (Trafficking) Act, 2000.
Tormey has also been charged with possession of seven child pornography images at his home in Glasnevin under Section 6(1) of the Child Trafficking and Pornography Act, 1998.
In a statement to Trinity News in December a spokesperson for college said: “As the matter raised is the subject of an ongoing legal process, it is not appropriate for us to comment.”
While adjunct academic staff are not usually considered full-time employees, Tormey is currently listed on the School of Medicine’s website as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Histopathology.
Tormey is also a former Fine Gael councilor, having sat on Dublin City Council from 2004 until 2014 when he lost his seat.
Following his court appearance in December, Tormey’s solicitor confirmed he had surrendered his passport and would not apply for any further travel documentation. He was also instructed not to contact any witnesses involved in the case.
