Councillor’s ‘not guilty’ plea on child pics charges

PARISH councillor Mike Buckley appeared in court yesterday for allegedly making and possessing indecent images of children.

Buckley (67) of Dobcross, was subject to an investigation last year and a warrant was executed on his home last March.

He entered a not guilty plea to 17 charges at Oldham Magistrates Court and will appear at Manchester Crown Court on April 16.

Buckley is alleged to have had 421 images of boys aged 6-18 on his computer. The images are said to have contained no overtly sexual content but were of boys playing instruments, swimming and showering, with exposed genitalia.

“Making” such images relates to the act of downloading them from a website, as opposed to taking them oneself.