A man has been remanded in custody at Belfast Magistrates Court accused of sex offences against a 15-year-old girl and possessing extreme pornography.

Alan Moore, of Windslow Drive, Carrickfergus, is believed to be the first person in the UK to be charged under the new extreme pornography law.

It was brought in after a campaign by a woman whose daughter was killed by a man who used violent pornography.

Anyone with sexually violent images could be jailed for up to three years.

Mr Moore was also charged with engaging in sexual touching with a person under 16, indecent assault and gross indecency.

A detective told the court she believed she could connect him to the offences.

With no defence submissions, Mr Moore was remanded in custody to appear again next month.

The law was introduced after a campaign by Liz Longhurst, who began a campaign to change the law on the possession of violent pornography after her daughter was murdered.

In 2003 Graham Coutts, of Hove, Sussex, was jailed for strangling Jane Longhurst for his sexual gratification.

Mrs Longhurst received cross-party support and the controversial new law was introduced in the Criminal Justice Bill last year.

Under the new rules, criminal responsibility shifts from the producer - who is responsible under the 1959 Obscene Publications Act (OPA) - to the consumer.

Mrs Longhurst told the BBC she believed the case in Northern Ireland was the first time anyone had been charged under the new law.

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/northern_ireland/8167351.stm

Published: 2009/07/24 16:29:13 GMT

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