Billy Charlton's indecent images court case rescheduled

William Bernard Charlton, known as Billy, appeared before Sunderland Magistrates’ Court last month, on Wednesday, March 11, to face the claims for the first time.

The 55-year-old, who told the magistrates’ court he lives in Seaham, did not enter any pleas and a hearing date was set to take place at Newcastle Crown Court on Wednesday, April 8, but this has now been postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

A large number of court cases have been postponed as measures are put in place to slow the spread of the virus.

A spokeswoman for Newcastle Crown Court said: “Due to the current COVID-19 situation I can confirm that the case has been rescheduled for the Wednesday, July 15”

Charlton will appear before the court in July charged with:

Possessing an extreme pornographic image which portrayed a person performing a sex act with a dog on June 20, 2019Possessing an extreme pornographic image of an act likely to result in serious injury to a person’s private parts, also on June 20, 2019Distributing an indecent photographer pseudo-photograph of a child engaged in a sex act with a donkey, on June 28, 2018Making an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, namely a video, between June 28, 2018, and June 20, 2019.

The charges are all said to have happened in Washington.

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