Man (36) accused of sexual assault of teenage girl in Ballymena remanded in custody

A Filipino man accused of sexually assaulting one teenage girl and arranging for another to be subjected to a “serious sexual assault” has been remanded into custody following a court appearance in Northern Ireland.

Garry Luna, 36, appeared in handcuffs before Limavady Magistrates Court, sitting in Coleraine, on Wednesday 25 June 2025, where he confirmed his identity and acknowledged that he understood the charges against him. The rest of the proceedings were interpreted for him.

Luna, whose address was given as Clarence Street, Ballymena, faces five charges in total relating to two teenage girls. The offences are alleged to have occurred between “an unknown date in March” and 24 May 2025.

The charges include:

• Sexual communication with a child,

• Common assault,

• Inciting a child aged 13–16 to engage in sexual activity,

• Sexual assault, and

• Arranging or facilitating sexual activity involving a child.

Details of the Police Case

Objecting to a bail application, Detective Constable Sinclair told the court the charges arose from a report by one of the complainants, who said she was “seriously sexually assaulted on 24 May.”

The officer outlined how the teenager alleged that she and a friend had been communicating with Luna via Facebook Messenger over a number of weeks before meeting him in person. On the night of the alleged incident, Luna reportedly took both girls to his home in Ballymena.

“The complainant stated that both girls had been communicating with him by Facebook messenger for a number of weeks prior to this,” said DC Sinclair.

Luna allegedly took them into the living room where he tried to kiss one of the girls and was “nipping her on the leg.” He is then said to have grabbed her by the arm, leading her upstairs to a bedroom where another man was already present.

The court heard that the girl reported the second man “subjected her to a serious sexual assault.”

After escaping the room, she reportedly heard her friend shouting from another bedroom. She helped her open the door, and the two girls then fled the property.

DC Sinclair informed the court that a specialist interview had already been conducted with one complainant, with another still to take place. She also noted that another man was currently in custody.

Police investigations into Luna’s mobile phone have allegedly uncovered “sexual communication with both girls over a substantial period of time,” which the officer described as “sexual” in nature.

Concerns Over Bail and Public Safety

The detective expressed concern about releasing Luna on bail, citing the risk of public disorder due to ongoing tensions in Ballymena, and stated, “we cannot guarantee his safety.”

Additionally, she pointed to Luna’s Filipino nationality as posing a potential flight risk.

While Luna’s defence counsel attempted to submit a bail application, he conceded that there was no proposed address for the defendant to reside at, which would require police approval.

District Judge Peter King dismissed the bail application, stating:

“These charges are of such severity and gravity that if I were to remand him to an address approved by police, I will potentially be devolving a bail decision to police when the court is best placed to make that decision.”

The judge further remarked that even if a bail address had been presented, the application would have been “an uphill application to make.”

Next Court Appearance Scheduled

Luna was formally remanded into custody and the case was adjourned until 17 July 2025.

The investigation remains ongoing, and PSNI continue to urge anyone with information relevant to the case to contact officers via 101, quoting reference number CW 1706-29/05/25.

Further details available on Court News NI.