Bulger's Killer Charged Over Child Porn
:57pm UK, Monday June 21, 2010 Adam Arnold, Sky News Online
James Bulger's killer Jon Venables has been charged with downloading and distributing child pornography, it has been revealed.
He is accused of downloading onto his computer 57 indecent photographs of youngsters between February 2009 and February this year.
Venables, who now has a new identity, is also charged with distributing seven indecent images of children between February 1 and 23 this year.
The charges can be reported after a judge at the Old Bailey lifted some reporting restrictions.
The 27-year-old suspect is due to face a plea and case management hearing on July 23, when he is expected to appear by prison videolink.
James' mother, Denise Fergus, welcomed the decision to lift some of the secrecy surrounding the new charges against her son's killer.
She told the Mercury Press Agency: "It is right that the charges he faces should be made public.
"My solicitor has been in touch with the Ministry of Justice, to make representations on my behalf, and to raise a number of concerns that I have about the way the case is going to be handled.
"We are still awaiting a reply to that formal approach.
She added: "I simply want to see justice done in this case and I don't want to say anything that could affect the proceedings. I'm prepared to wait and see what happens."
Lawyer Robin Makin, solicitor for James Bulger's father Ralph and uncle Jimmy, read out a statement to Sky News.
He said: "It is an enormous relief that today the paternal family of James Bulger have finally been told for the first time that Jon Venables, who murdered James in 1993, has been charged with extremely serious sexual offences.
"Great anguish and distress has been suffered by Ralph and his brother Jimmy. Jimmy had the responsibility of identifying James' mutilated and tortured remains."
Sky News' Martin Brunt said: "You could argue that today has been a victory for James Bulger's parents and the media, who wanted to report these charges."
Venables was found guilty along with Robert Thompson of murdering the two-year-old boy in 1993.
James has been led away from a shopping centre in Liverpool by the pair, who were both 10 years old at the time.
They were jailed for life but released on licence in 2001 when they were given new identities.
Venables was recalled to prison in February this year following the new allegations.