A SUFFOLK man is facing charges over 29,000 pictures of child porn.Detectives allegedly found the indecent images on the computer of Richard Sugden, 53, from Nottidge Road, Ipswich.

A SUFFOLK man is facing charges over 29,000 pictures of child porn.

Detectives allegedly found the indecent images on the computer of Richard Sugden, 53, from Nottidge Road, Ipswich.

He said "no indication" when asked how he would plead to 16 sample charges relating to dates between February 2001 and October 2002.

Chairman of magistrates Ray Condon decided the alleged images were so serious that Sugden's trial should be heard at crown court on August 29.

He was released on unconditional bail.

His case was one of a string of six similar cases brought to court today following a countywide police sting.

In a separate case, 48-year-old Christopher Venis, who was accused of child porn offences, is today recovering in hospital after taking an overdose, the court was told.

Venis, from Low Road, Earl Soham, was scheduled to appear but magistrates heard that his sister had phoned the court to say he was in hospital after an overdose.

His case was adjourned until August 18.

David Avery, 35, of The Walk, Felixstowe, also did not issue a plea and faces eight charges relating to child pornography dating from November 2002 to January 2003.

In a separate case Ipswich magistrates were told how more than 300 pornographic pictures of children were found on another man's home computer.

Mark Ansell, 39, of Mill Road, Newbourne, pleaded guilty to 16 charges of taking indecent photographs of a child in November 2002.

David Taylor, prosecuting, told the court how Ansell had subscribed to a website and looked at 343 pictures of children under 16.

Four of these images were described as a level two grading, while the remaining 339 were of a level one nature - the least serious grading.

Ansell had used his credit card to access the sites and the pictures were found on the hard drive of his computer.

Charles Riddleston, mitigating, said: "There is no suggestion of distributing to any persons at all or other people seeing the images on his home PC. Until today he was a man of good character."

The case was adjourned for a pre-sentence report and a community rehabilitation order is most likely, the court heard.

Ansell will also have to sign the sex offenders' register and will appear at South East Suffolk Magistrates Court on Monday, August 18 for sentencing.

Two further men appeared in court for the first time on charges relating to child pornography.

Kevin Murray, 32, of Friars Court, Melton, was charged with three counts of taking indecent photographs of a child between December 2002 and June 2003. He has not yet issued a plea and will return to court on August 18.

Former design and technology teacher David Jordan, 37, who resigned after being arrested by police earlier this year, was arrested as part of Operation Queensbury, Suffolk Police's investigations linked to national paedophile crackdown Operation Ore.

Jordan, of Teesdale, Carlton Colville, Lowestoft, is charged with two allegations of taking indecent photographs of a child between June 1999 and January 2003, and on June 22, 1999.

One charge relates to an alleged offence in Lincolnshire and the other to an offence in Carlton Colville.

In court today Jordan denied both charges and the case was adjourned to Ipswich Crown Court on September 15.