Thursday, January 29, 2009

Conservative - Councillor - Child pornography

A FORMER Conservative councillor has admitted downloading more than 1,700 indecent images of children.

Ian McKellar, of Sandy Lane, West Kirby, pleaded guilty to eight offences of making indecent images before May 11, 2006.

Liverpool crown court heard the images involved 1,639 images in the lowest category and the other 83 were in the next three more serious categories.

McKellar is a former chairman of West Wirral Conservatives and represented Claughton on Wirral Council in the 1980s.

Arthur Gibson, defending, told the Recorder of Liverpool, Judge Henry Globe QC, that McKellar pleaded guilty on the basis he had deliberately sought to look at naked girls aged between 12-16 in erotic poses.

But he said McKellar had not wanted to look at children involved in the more serious categories, including having sex with adults.

Mr Gibson said the images were not stored after being viewed.

McKellar, 58, denied another offence of making indecent photographs, involving six images, which will now be dropped.

Cllr Jeff Green, leader of the Conservative group on Wirral Council, this week distanced the party from McKellar.

He said: “My understanding is he has not been a member of Wirral West Conservatives for some time.

“He tried to reapply to become a member and was turned down.

“He is a man with a family and it is a terrible situation. He must now await his sentence.”

Ian McKellar’s solicitor David Kirwan said: “My client deeply regrets his actions and no one is more ashamed than he.

“While he fully appreciates that he has let down his many friends and colleagues, he hopes that they will understand that these actions were completely out of character.

“Apart from service as a councillor, he has worked unstintingly for many years within the voluntary sector.”

McKellar was further remanded on bail to await sentence on February 24.

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