On the morning of Friday, the 20th of March, Dr Stephen Davis, an assistant professor of archaeology at University College Dublin (UCD), was arrested at his private residence in Bray, Co. Wicklow. The 53-year-old British national was accused of having used malicious software to obtain students’ personal data, including their passwords. The arrest followed an investigation by the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB), which had been ongoing since 2023.
After being taken to the Kilmainham Garda Station, Davis appeared in the Dublin District Court, where he was charged with 96 counts of unlawful and intentional accessing of an information system. Moreover, he was charged with 51 counts of harassment, allegedly involving over 100 victims, and one charge regarding the unlawful use of software to access an information system.
He has not yet entered a plea and was released upon paying his €100 bail. Davis was also ordered to sign in at his local Garda station twice a week and to avoid the Bray Library. He is set to appear in court again this July. It was confirmed that he is still employed by UCD.
