Businessman in court over child porn

A PROMINENT Bexhill businessman has appeared in court to face a string of child pornography charges.

By The Newsroom

Published 11th Dec 2003, 07:54 BST

Updated 7th Jun 2018, 19:48 BST

Video-shop owner Steve Ayres, 53, faces 18 counts of possessing and making indecent photos of a child between January and December of 2002.

Mr Ayres, of Wilton Road, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address during a five-minute hearing at Brighton Magistrates' Court on Tuesday morning.

Mr Ayres owns and runs TVC video shops in Devonshire Road and Ninfield Road.

He is a former Bexhill Chamber of Commerce president and is currently a prominent member of the Rotary Club of Senlac and a former Town Centre and Tourism Action Group member.

In January his Devonshire Road shop was gutted in a suspected arson attack, causing 100,000 damage to stock.

Magistrates adjourned his case until February 3 for committal papers to be prepared. He was granted unconditional bail. No plea to the charges was entered.

Bexhill Chamber of Commerce