MAN2,26,ADMITS DOWNLOADING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

Glen Michael Butchers, 26, of De Cham Road, St Leonards, pleaded guilty to 15 charges of making indecent photographs of children at Hastings Magistrates Court yesterday.

Prosecutor Peter Bolwell said: "Police investigating a paedophile ring in Hastings were passed information from the National Crime Squad about people downloading child pornography in the town.

"As a result of this a search warrant was issued and on February 25 they found a computer at Mr Butchers' home which contained child porn images which had been downloaded from the internet."

These images were all of a very serious nature featuring children of both sexes, some as young as five. The children were pictured performing sexual acts on each other and being molested and raped by adults. Police investigating child pornography cases rate images on a scale from one to five - five being the most serious. All the images found on Butcher's computer were at least level three.

Magistrate Gordon Waters told Butchers: "We feel this is such a serious crime our sentencing powers are insufficient to deal with you. As a result we will send your case to Crown Court to be sentenced."

Butchers now faces the prospect of jail.