Bail has been refused during a special court sitting which heard in excess of £1million in cocaine was discovered as well as indecent child imagery and attempts to pay for sexual services.
Aaron Hudosn (30) from Moorville, Stewartstown is charged with possessing and being concerned in the supply of cocaine and cannabis as well as possessing and transferring criminal property.
He is further accused of possessing and making indecent images of children and attempting to pay for sexual services.
Offending is alleged to have occurred on dates between 20 January and 2 May.
A detective constable from the PSNI Organised Crime Branch to a Dungannon Magistrates’ Court the cages could be connected.
She explained on 20 January police stopped Hudson as he was driving a vehicle in the Gosford Road area of Armagh.
A search recovered two phones and what was considered by police to be a ledger relating to drug supply and containing contacts.
He was not arrested at this time and the phones were sent for examination, one of which showed “clear evidence of involvement in the delivery of multiple kilos of drugs” as exchanges and collecting cash.
Communication was on various platforms including Signal and WhatsApp showing messages following up deliveries and transactions.
It also indicated Hudson was collecting cash on behalf of unknown persons showing names, values and exchanges.
The second phone was believed to be Hudson’s personal device and contained indecent child imagery comprising 28 images and 31 videos in Category A (the most serious), 19 images and 16 videos in Category B and 39 images and 14 videos in Category C.
There was also contact with sex workers including agreeing prices for activity and in one message he said he was obtaining cash and was provided with an address.
This phone also contained some evidence of drugs supply and money laundering.
On receipt of this evidence police arrested Hudson and another device was seized which showed a connection to a storage facility in his name.
This was searched and 11 kilos of cocaine were recovered with a street value of over £1 million which, said the detective, “was a huge find.”
During interview Hudson gave an explanation in relation to the sexual offending but gave ‘no comment’ replies to the drugs matters.
Objecting to bail the detective said, “The risk of further offending is huge. For the defendant to have control of that amount of drugs indicates he is deeply into this offending . This is his lifestyle. He has no legitimate work. This is a loss of a huge amount of drugs putting him in significant debt which he has no means of repaying without returning to criminality. There are also concerns in terms of sexual offending and there is a danger to his own safety once these matters are made known.”
Defence solicitor Jarlath Faloon urged bail to be granted, telling the court while Hudson has a record for possessing cannabis 10 years ago there is nothing for indecent images.
He added there will also be enquiries into who had access to the storage facility although accepted it was rented by Hudson.
But refusing bail District Judge Conor Heaney said, “The charges are of the utmost seriousness, not just the drugs offending but the sexual matters.”
Hudson was remanded in custody to appear again by video-link on 13 May.
