One of two men convicted as children of killing toddler James Bulger 17 years ago was charged today with possessing and distributing child pornography.
Jon Venables, now 27, is accused of downloading 57 indecent images of children between February 2009 and February this year.
He is also charged with distributing seven indecent images of children between February 1st and 23rd this year.
Venables was recalled to prison in February after being accused of breaching the terms of his licence.
Venables and Robert Thompson were jailed for life for the 1993 murder of two-year-old Bulger, who was led away from a shopping centre in Liverpool by the two 10-year-olds.
They were released on licence in 2001 after being given new identities.
The criminal charges could not be reported until a judge at the Old Bailey lifted some reporting restrictions in court today.
Venables is due to face a plea and case management hearing on July 23rd when he is expected to appear by prison videolink.
Since his conviction with Thompson, scant official information about the pair has been released. Strict court orders prevent the media from identifying the pair or giving details about where they live and what they do.
Denise Fergus, the mother of the murdered toddler, has campaigned for the pair's anonymity to be lifted.
The murder shocked Britain and was widely reported around the world.
Reuters