RTÉ have cancelled the proposed interview of Tyrone footballer Cathal McCarron that was due to take place on the Late Late Show this coming Friday.
The former All-Star was due to appear on the show to promote his new autobiobraphy, Out of Control, a book that details some of the darker aspects of the footballer's life such as a gambling addiction, featuring in a pornographic video and his relationship with a 15-year-old girl from Kildare Town.
The father of the girl contacted RTÉ to plead with them not to allow the interview to go ahead, and the Irish Independent have today reported that a senior producer from the Late Late Show contacted the man to assure him that McCarron will not be interviewed by Ryan Tubirdy on Friday night.
The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said that his daughter is suffering psychologically from the events that unfolded, and that McCarron was just looking to cash in on his new book.
"To write the book so soon after the incident and to not express any remorse. What does that tell you? It feels like he wants to cash in on what he’s done,” he told the Irish Independent.
He added: “I rang RTE and all other stations and begged them not to do any interviews with him. I emailed the complaints department RTE but all I got was a letter confirming the receipt of my email."
The 28-year-old matched with the teenager on the dating app Tinder this summer, and he began exchanging messages with the young girl. He claims that she told him that she was much older than 15, and even sent him pictures of a Jaguar that she told the footballer was her own.
McCarron met up with the girl while on his way to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting in Athy, though a court decided in July of this year that the footballer honestly believed that she was 19. Her profile suggested stated she was 19, and the court heard that McCarron had no reason to believe that she was only 15.
After finding out that his daughter had met the 28-year-old, the father rang McCarron to tell him to stay away from his daughter. The Dromore man was later questioned at Kildare Town Garda station, but the DPP decided not to press charges.
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