Councillor’s pics of naked boys

Mike Buckley

ALLEGEDLY indecent video clips and pictures of naked young boys found on a Saddleworth councillor’s computer, were today being shown to a trial jury.

The images — more than 300 of them — show genitalia, but Manchester Crown Court was told none showed the performance of any sexual act.

The jury heard that the images were revealed when 67-year old Mike Buckley’s computer equipment was analysed after police executed a search warrant at his home in Dobcross last year.

The parish councillor has entered not guilty pleas to 17 separate counts of making and possessing indecent images of youngsters.

Juliet Berry prosecuting, told the jury at the opening of the trial that 16 of the charges on the indictment were specimens, reflecting a course of conduct by Mr Buckley. Ms Berry said he accepted that he had downloaded the images found on his computer, but does not accept the pictures are indecent.

The Crown’s case is that there is a sexual element in the way the boys posed for the pictures.

(Proceeding)