FORMER Olympics coach George Gibney has been arrested in the US on foot of an Irish extradition request, it has emerged.
The one-time swimming trainer was lifted in the States, where he has been based for several decades, as part of an investigation into historical child sexual abuse allegations.
Gibney who is now in his 70s, is wanted here to face over 50 historical sexual abuse charges from his time working here.
He was arrested in Florida on Tuesday afternoon by US marshals on foot of an Irish extradition warrant, according to RTE News.
Gibney is being detained pending a court appearance there and can decide whether to accede or contest his extradition.
A Garda spokesperson told The Irish Sun: “An Garda Síochána is aware of the arrest of a male aged in his 70s in the United States on foot of an Irish international arrest warrant.
“As this is currently a matter for the US authorities, An Garda Síochána will not be commenting further at this time.”
Investigators re-opened their probe into the former high profile coach after a number of people made allegations against him on a BBC and Second Captains podcast over five years ago.
The award-winning production, entitled Where Is George Gibney?, re-examined the controversy and prompted more than a dozen new alleged victims of the swimming coach to come forward.
A number of the alleged abuse victims who came forward following the hit series made criminal complaints to An Garda Siochana, who at the time had already opened a fresh investigation into Gibney.
The new case reportedly relates to different instances of alleged abuse to those Gibney was previously charged with in the 1990s.
It is understood gardai submitted the extradition request to US authorities late last year, at which point it became a matter for US officials to review and process the paperwork.
Gibney previously faced charges in 1993.
He appeared before Dun Laoghaire District Court in April of that year, charged with 27 counts of indecency against young swimmers and of having carnal knowledge of girls under the age of 15.
However, his prosecution was stopped after he took a judicial review in the High Court and, in July 1994, secured an injunction preventing the DPP from prosecuting him on those charges.
