A serving garda stationed in Dublin was arrested in Limerick at the weekend for attempting to procure sex from a girl under the age of 15.
The man, a sergeant attached to a Garda station in Dublin's northside, was arrested on Saturday for "alleged sexual improprieties", gardai confirmed.
A married man in his 30s, his arrest was the result of an undercover investigation by the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, as part of an ongoing operation.
Gardai say he was taken to divisional headquarters at Henry Street for questioning by senior local officers and members of the NBCI, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.
A Garda spokesman at Henry Street said that the man had expected to meet a 12-year-old girl on Saturday through a third party. "We are satisfied that he never actually met any girl in Limerick," the spokesman said.
The man was held for 12 hours before being released without charge. He was suspended from duty before being released, gardai confirmed. A file on the case is being prepared for the DPP.