A man accused of attempting to arrange the rape of a child has become the latest alleged sex offender to be granted anonymity after claiming they would self-harm if their identity was known.

The courts in Northern Ireland have previously granted two lifetime anonymity orders to convicted paedophiles who threatened to self-harm if named.

Now another alleged offender has been given an interim anonymity order on the same grounds, raising concerns that the role of the press in upholding open justice is being stifled.

The accused man, who is in his 40s and from County Tyrone, is charged with twice attempting to arrange or facilitate an illegal act namely rape of a child, and of making and being in possession of an indecent image of a child.

The offences are alleged to have occurred on various dates between 21 and 24 November 2022.

On first appearing last month at Omagh Magistrates Court, pictured, the accused spoke only to confirm his identity and that he understood the charges.

On that occasion, a defence solicitor advised an application was sought for an interim reporting restriction on the basis of risk to life from self-harm.

The judge asked a police officer if he was aware of any risk to the defendant’s life due to self-harm, who on checking the custody record replied, “There’s no mention of a risk to life due to mental health.”

However the reporting ban was granted after the defence said efforts were underway to source a consultant psychiatrist to assess the defendant’s mental health issues.

And when the case returned to court earlier this month, the reporting restriction was extended after the psychiatrists’s report said publication of the accused’s name could provoke an attempt at self-harm. The issue will now be revisited in April.

Court reporter Tanya Fowles, who is covering the case, told HTFP: “Press have previously raised concerns over the obtaining of such reports and what action is taken by this who compile them around mitigating risks.

“Such findings will have no impact on the charges or the case progressing through court however the role of Press in upholding open justice, which is also incumbent on the courts, continues to be stifled.”

There are only nine people covered by lifetime anonymity orders across the entire UK, including Maxine Carr, partner of Soham murderer Ian Huntley, as well as Robert Thompson and Jon Venables who murdered toddler James Bulger.

Two of the nine relate to the recent orders imposed in Northern Ireland in respect of the two convicted offenders, one of whom was jailed and one of whom was placed on probation.

Tanya, who covers courts in Northern Ireland in addition to her work as a BBC local democracy reporter, has previously raised the issue with the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Office of the Lady Chief Justice and the Attorney General, warning of a “deluge” of anonymity applications from paedophiles.