A WISBECH man has been charged with possessing more than 62,000 photographs of child pornography, including pictures of youngsters involved in extreme sexual practices. Richard Cragg, 43, declined to enter a plea to a total of 15 charges when he appeared

A WISBECH man has been charged with possessing more than 62,000 photographs of child pornography, including pictures of youngsters involved in extreme sexual practices.

Richard Cragg, 43, declined to enter a plea to a total of 15 charges when he appeared at Wisbech courthouse on Tuesday, and magistrates decided he should be tried at Cambridge Crown Court.

Cragg, of Magazine Close, faces 10 charges of making an indecent photograph of a child, on various dates between September 2005 and January 2008.

Five more charges relate to the possession of indecent photographs, which have been graded according to the Copine scale, developed by Cork University in Ireland. According to that scale, level one images are considered mild, level four photographs depict penetrative sex, and level five indicates extreme practices.

Cragg is charged with possessing a total of 62,379 indecent photos in Wisbech between September 2005 and January 2008.

It is alleged that 60,635 photographs were at level one; another 1,249 photos were level two; 150 pictures were graded at level three; 324 photographs were level four; and 21 photographs were graded at level five.

The court adjourned the case until June 24 for committal, and gave Cragg bail, on condition that he reports to the police weekly.