A man in his fifties has appeared in court charged with a number of child sex offences and possessing indecent images of children.

Geoffrey Lewis stands accused of downloading indecent images of children over a 15-year period between 2002 and 2017.

The 51-year-old is also charged with four sexual assault offences against children and one count of engaging in sexual activity with a child, over a four-year period, between 2013 and 2017.

Suffolk Magistrates' Court heard that all the offences are alleged to have taken place in Woodbridge.

Lewis, of Briton Way, Wymondham, in Norfolk, appeared in the dock for a brief hearing on Tuesday afternoon to deny every charge.

He spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth, and to enter not guilty pleas to all of the alleged offences.

Lewis is charged with four counts of sexually touching a girl under the age of 13 and one count of engaging in non-penetrative sexual activity with girl aged 13-15.

All five charges have been brought by the Crown Prosecution Service under the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

Under the Protection of Children Act 1978, between October 2002 and December 2017, Lewis is also accused of making 59 still images and 35 moving images, of the most serious (category A) level of indecency, on an Antec Tower and Samsung mobile phone; making 79 category B still images and 39 category B moving images of a child on an Antec Tower, ASUS laptop and Samsung mobile phone, and with making 3,669 category C still images and 88 category C moving images of a child on an Antec Tower and Samsung mobile phone.

Prosecutor David Bryant invited magistrates to send the case straight up to the crown court.

He told the bench: "For the majority of these matters, your sentencing powers would be wholly insufficient."

Nick Seeley, representing Lewis, made no representations in respect of venue for the case to be heard.

Magistrates agreed to decline jurisdiction and send the case to be dealt with before a judge and jury.

Lewis was released on unconditional bail until his next scheduled appearance at Ipswich Crown Court on December 17.