A man wanted in Germany for alleged child sexual offences shaved off his hair in an apparent bid to thwart police before his arrest in Northern Ireland, a court has heard.
He may also have used a fake identity and passport as a fugitive attempting to avoid detection, it was claimed.
The 39-year-old man, who cannot be identified, is being sought to stand trial in Berlin on nine charges which include raping and sexually assaulting his daughter.
The alleged offences occurred in the city on dates between September 2020 and December 2021.
He was detained in Portadown, Co Armagh on Monday under a European arrest warrant.
As the accused appeared at Belfast County Court on Tuesday, his lawyer confirmed that he is not consenting to extradition and mounted an application for bail.
Counsel for the German authorities, Stephen Ritchie, objected to releasing him from custody, claiming that he entered the UK illegally in 2022.
“We do not know if he was a fugitive, but the chronology has all the hallmarks of someone who absconded,” the barrister said.
He claimed that the accused used an alias and a passport issued by his native country two years ago.
The court heard that he has also been reported to the Public Prosecution Service over allegations made since he arrived in Northern Ireland.
“It may be that charges will follow,” Mr Ritchie said.
As part of the opposition to bail, it was alleged that the wanted man cut off part of his hair just before police arrived at the location where he was arrested.
“He shaved this off and it seems to have been an apparent attempt to change his appearance,” counsel submitted.
His Honour Judge Philip Gilpin was told that the accused has no ties or family in Northern Ireland.
But defence barrister Sean O’Hare argued that his client has established a fixed address and regular work in the jurisdiction.
“He has remained here despite the allegations still being made against him,” Mr O’Hare added.
Refusing to grant bail at this stage, Judge Gilpin remanded the man in custody until Friday.
He said: “There still seems to be a lot of unanswered questions and matters this court would need to know about before bail would be a realistic prospect, given the seriousness of the alleged offending”.