Face of pensioner who shamed swim coach George Gibney has been living with in Florida
George Gibney with the Irish Olympic Swimming Team returning from the Olympics in South Korea
This is the pensioner who shamed swim coach George Gibney has been living with in a bungalow in Florida as gardaí continue to investigate his alleged crimes.
The ex-Olympic coach appeared before a US court this week on foot of an extradition request from Gardaí who have been investigating him for alleged child abuse.
If extradited to Ireland, he will face 79 charges in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of four girls in the 1970s and 1980s
Gibney (77) was arrested in Florida on Tuesday nearly three decades after he had fled to the US after successfully challenging a previous attempt to prosecute him for alleged child sexual abuse.
Despite the allegations facing Gibney, he was able build a new life in Florida and lived in a comfortable detached bungalow in Altamonte Springs.
George Gibney in Florida
He had previously worked at a hotel in the area but was fired after they found out about his history.
He shared his home with Pedro Colon – a man with close ties to the Annunciation Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs.
Colon describes himself as a software engineer and is involved with a number of local community groups.
Images shown on a local TV show Gibney being arrested as he gets out of a car outside his home on Tuesday by armed police officers.
In 2015, the Sunday World photographed Colon outside the home he shared with Gibney before the pair drove away in a white Honda.
George Gibney arrested this week
The duo – who are both in their 70s – are believed to have been living together in Florida for years, with most of their neighbours being unaware of the allegations against Gibney in Ireland.
In 2023, Colon told the Sunday Times that Gibney has 'nothing to worry about' in connection with the Garda investigation into alleged sex abuse.
However, Gibney's quiet retirement has now come to an end after he was arrested in by US cops on foot of the Garda investigation.
Speaking to local TV news channel WKMG-TV News 6, Gibney's neighbours said they rarely saw him outside of his home.
George Gibney's housemate, Pedro Colon, in Florida
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 6th
Victor Valentin, who lives opposite Gibney, said the former swim coach was arrested a gunpoint.
'To have a monster like that living among us is just shocking,
'There were a lot of police officers, rifles, guns, bullhorns. They were yelling for this guy to come out.'
George Gibney with the Irish Olympic Swimming Team returning from the Olympics in South Korea
He added: 'They were trying to pursue their Olympic dreams and had someone who was supposed to support them, but instead betrayed them,' Valentin said.
Gibney was charged with a number of offences in Dublin District Court on 6 June 2023 and the Irish Embassy subsequently requested his extradition from the US State Department.
According to legal papers lodged in the US District Court, Gibney is wanted in Ireland to face 78 counts of indecently assaulting the four girls and one count of also attempting to rape one of them.
All four were minors, aged between eight and 15, and were coached by Gibney.
He briefly appeared before Judge Daniel Irick in a court in Florida and was remanded in custody to appear again in court for a detention hearing on Friday week, July 11.
Gibney coached children with the Trojan swimming club in Dublin in the 1980s.
He was a high-profile sports figure who regularly appeared in Irish media, until he was exposed for allegedly sexually abusing children.
He appeared before Dún Laoghaire District Court in April 1993 charged with 27 counts of indecency against young swimmers and of having carnal knowledge of girls under the age of 15.
The prosecution was halted after he successfully took a judicial review arguing that the delay in the offences coming to court would deny him a fair trial and also highlighting the lack of precision around specific alleged incidents.
Neighbour Victor Valentin
The Supreme Court found in Gibney's favour, after which Gibney moved to Scotland and later to the US.
He continued to coach children in the US, working for a swimming club in Colorado but he lost his job after details of his past allegations in Dublin emerged.
He stayed in the US and worked in various non-swimming related roles.
His extradition will be welcomed by the many former swimmers who came forward with their experiences to gardaí after the BBC podcast placed Gibney under renewed scrutiny.
Speaking in Japan after Gibney's arrest, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said it showed the importance of judicial cooperation with the United States.
'I think we all listened to the podcast. I think it's important that we have an agreement with the US. Gardaí have been working very diligently and in a detailed way, I have no doubt,' he said.
'We will await the next step now,' he added.
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