March criminology graduate facing child porn charges committed to Cambridge Crown Court

A CRIMINOLOGY graduate charged with possessing more than 300 images of child pornography and distributing indecent images of children was yesterday committed to stand trial at Cambridge Crown Court.

Gordon Newman - a 21-year-old former Neale-Wade student from March - faces a total of 11 pornography charges.

He appeared before Fenland magistrates yesterday afternoon, dressed in a black jacket, black trousers and light coloured shoes. Newman, who graduated from Lincoln University, has chosen not to enter a plea to any of the allegations.

The court heard that Newman, of Ellingham Avenue, March, is accused of possessing a total of 298 indecent photos or pseudo images in March on August 30 2007; and another four images on August 31 2007

Such images are graded on the Copine scale, with level one being the lowest level; and five being the highest.

The first possession charge alleges that Newman had two level five images, 26 level four images; 43 images graded at level three, 10 at level two, and 217 at level one.

The second charge alleges that Newman was found in possession of one image at level four, two at level two, and one image at level one.

Newman is also accused of distributing 34 indecent images of children in March between August 1 and 9 2006, the images being at levels one, two, three and four, and going to eight different people.

He faces five charges of making an indecent photograph of a child in March, between May 26 and June 13 2007, the images ranging from levels one to five.

He faces three more charges of making an indecent photograph within the jurisdiction of the Central Criminal Court between February 8 and May 7 2007, involving images at level one, two and four.

The court gave Newman unconditional bail until a preliminary hearing at the Crown Court on February 5.