TÁNAISTE SIMON HARRIS has appealed to the TD who gave a character reference to a sexual offender to come forward and “have the courage to put their name to it”. 

Last week it was reported that Daniel Ramamoorthy, a former adviser in the Department of Enterprise, who was previously convicted of sexually exploiting a child had received a character reference from an unnamed TD. 

The trial judge said it was “quite extraordinary” that the references from the TD and numerous others failed to mention the victim or the “vile nature” of the crime committed.

Asked today if he knows who the TD was, Harris said he did not. 

He said he agrees with Taoiseach Micheál Martin that no public representative should give a reference to any individual accused of crimes of that nature. 

“I fully agree with the Taoiseach… If people are giving a reference, they should have the courage to put their name to it.

“So if there is a TD in Dáil Éireann who has done this, they should just tell us who it is. But I certainly agree fully with the Taoiseach’s comments. I think it’s not acceptable,” Harris said.

Last week, Ramamoorthy (40), appealed his sentence of two years and four months for sexually exploiting a 13-year-old at a Christian children’s camp.

Ramamoorthy was convicted following two trials of one count of sexually exploiting the child in 2017 by asking him to send a picture of his penis over Snapchat. A jury in the first trial failed to reach a verdict.

Ramamoorthy, with a previous address at Whitebarn Road, Rathfarnham, and Wolnzach, Germany, also pleaded guilty to a charge of possessing child sexual abuse material, referred to in law as child pornography.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard he was found with three images and one video depicting young boys engaged in sexual activity with each other and with an unknown adult man.

He continues to maintain his innocence in relation to the sexual exploitation offence.

Ramamoorthy was jailed for two years and four months by Judge Sinéad McMullen at the Central Criminal Court on 24 March last year. She described the sexual exploitation offence as a serious breach of trust.