A VIDEOGRAPHER has appeared in court charged with viewing dozens of indecent images of children, including one of a baby.

Acting on intelligence, police executed a warrant to search the home of Jonathan Ritchie in February last year.

Officers recovered a number of devices with access to the internet from his home in Chestnut Walk, Witham, and began a recovery operation.

Two of the most serious category A images and three category A movies were found along with 12 category B images and nine category B movies.

A total of 47 indecent images and six videos classed as category C were also found.

The images are understood to have been viewed by Ritchie between 2014 and 2018.

Ritchie, 29, indicated guilty pleas to three charges of making indecent images of a child during an appearance at Colchester Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.

Louise Maples, prosecuting, said: "On February 7, 2018 police executed a search warrant at the home address of the defendant as they received intelligence an internet connection had been used to access indecent images of children. A large number of devices were seized.

"The defendant worked as a videographer filming football matches and wedding ceremonies.

"A large amount of data was taken which is why it has taken so long to get through the courts.

"Indecent images were found on an iPad, an Apple Mac and a Macbook Pro.

"The age of the children in general is between three and 16 although there was a category B image of a baby aged around six months."

Ms Maples argued the offences were too serious to be sentenced in magistrates' court.

Matthew Swash, mitigating on behalf of Ritchie, raised no objections and magistrates declined jurisdiction over the case.

Sentencing is due to take place in the weeks beginning October 22 at Chelmsford Crown Court.

A pre-sentence report will be compiled by the probation service in preparation for the hearing.

Ritchie was granted unconditional bail until the hearing at Crown Court.