Anyone who publishes photographs or identifies the two teenage boys who murdered Ana Kriegel will feel the full force of the law, a judge has warned.

Justice Michael White also ordered Twitter and Facebook to take down any material identifying the 14-year-olds from their platforms.

The social media giants will appear before Justice White at the Central Criminal Court this morning after social media users identified the 14-year-old boys despite an order preventing their being named and a provision under the Children Act that prohibits the identification of minors accused or convicted of a criminal offence.

Making the order, Mr Justice White issued a “trenchant warning” to any individual who decides to try to identify the boys, saying they will be subject to a contempt of court application. Gardaí also issued a warning to the public.

Brendan Grehan, for the Director of Public Prosecutions, said the court has “unlimited powers” of detention and fine for anyone found in contempt of court.

Justice White said the murder trial was a particularly sensitive one and nobody could be under the illusion that publishing the identities of the accused is not prohibited by the Children Act.

Mr Grehan raised the issue, saying that lawyers for Boy B had contacted the DPP’s office and alerted it to images published on Facebook alongside derogatory comments. Counsel said some of the commentators seemed to be aware that there was an order made to protect the boys’ identities.

Mr Grehan said the individuals who published the photographs can be identified but the images had been shared and it is not yet clear to what extent.

He said it is the DPP’s view that the owners of Facebook and Twitter have a responsibility in respect of the matter and the DPP was seeking an order against the platforms directing them to remove photos or other material that would identify either boy.