A Church of Ireland rector has denied possessing indecent images of children after videos of naked boys were found on top of a wardrobe in his rectory home.The trial of the Reverend Stephen Alfred Crowther heard how police raids uncovered DVDs in his rectory home.
It is alleged the videos contain images of naked boys in their early teens either in the shower or "engaged in country or outdoor pursuits".
Crowther, a rector of a Lisnaskea parish, denied eight charges of possessing indecent pictures of children when he appeared at Fermanagh Magistrates' Court yesterday.
He also denied a further charge of downloading four indecent photographs of children and one of attempting to have another indecent image in his possession.
Prosecuting council Charles McKay outlined a total of ten offences alleged to have been carried out between May and December 2005.
The investigation into the 47-year-old rector's alleged activities began on June 16 when customs official Colin Fermoy intercepted a package in London that was addressed to Crowther.
Police were alerted and in July they raided Crowther's rectory home and seized a variety of evidence including a computer hard drive, lap top, DVDs and bank statements.
Officers found videos including a number on top of a wardrobe in one of the bedrooms.
Eight of the videos are alleged to contain indecent images.
He classified the images as being level one indecency - the least serious level.
He said that a decision would have to be made on whether the images showed erotic posing.
"If they do not depict erotic posing, the defence will be upheld in this case," said Mr McKay.
"It is acknowledged that these were found in his possession but if these are not indecent images then, therefore, he will have committed no crime."
Resident Magistrate Paul Copeland said he would have to adjourn the trial to review the nine hours of video images as well as the four downloaded photographs.
A defence barrister asked the magistrate to look at the images in the context of the video and said that there was a "theme running through each of them".
The RM agreed that it was important to place all of the material in context.
The case was adjourned until June 7.
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