A SUFFOLK schoolteacher has been charged with more than 20 offences relating to pornographic images of children.The case against Paul Sear, a former science teacher at Stowupland High School, will be heard for the first time in court next week.

A SUFFOLK schoolteacher has been charged with more than 20 offences relating to pornographic images of children.

The case against Paul Sear, a former science teacher at Stowupland High School, will be heard for the first time in court next week.

The 53-year-old faces 20 charges of making indecent photographs of children and one charge of distributing indecent images of children.

Sear, of Burrell Road, Ipswich, will face the charges before magistrates at Bury St Edmunds on Thursday.

His court appearance comes almost a month after police confirmed they were questioning a 53-year-old man but refused to divulge his name.

However The Evening Star revealed the man under suspicion was Sear.

Mr Sear worked at Stowupland School in Church Lane until May this year.

Suffolk police first arrested Mr Sear at a previous home in Hadleigh on May 16.

He was questioned by officers at Sudbury police station about allegations of possessing indecent images of children.

It is believed some of the images police are investigating involved internet pornography.

Suffolk Police would not confirm or deny that the operation to arrest and charge Mr Sear was part of Operation Ore - a worldwide child porn investigation.

A spokesman said it was force policy not to discuss Operation Ore after arrests as it could prejudice any forthcoming trials.

Operation Ore is the British arm of the FBI's Candyman operation which started in America and spread around the world when details of credit card transactions were uncovered by FBI investigators.

A spokesman for the Home Office said the maximum sentence for possessing child pornography is five years in prison