A MAN has appeared in court accused of possessing, making and distributing thousands of indecent photographs of children.

Paul Wilkins gave no indication of plea to the 16 counts put against him at Cambridge Magistrates’ Court on Monday (June 27).

They include four charges of possessing a total of 43 extreme pornographic images which explicitly portray a person engaging sexual intercourse or oral sex with horses, goats and dogs.

The images were said to be “grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character”, according to court records.

Prosecutors say he was also found to be in possession of 3,633 indecent pictures of children on August 10 last year.

These include 48 at Level Five on the Copine Scale, which rates the seriousness of pornographic images.

He faces six charges of possession and one of distributing 2,576 indecent images, which consists of 651 movies, with three photos and 25 movies at Level Five.

In addition the 65-year-old, of High Street, Littleport faces five charges of making 3,363 indecent photographs between May 2006 and August 2010, consisting of dozens of movies.

Wilkins’ case has now been sent to Cambridge Crown Court for trial but he will reappear at the Magistrates’ Court on August 8, at 10.15am, for a committal hearing.

He has been released on bail until his next hearing.

“This case involves the retrieving of a huge amount of material,” prosecutor Delia Matthews said. “They are horrendous and involve babies.

“The guidance is that it starts at crown court level because of the large amount of material at Level Five.”