A UNIVERSITY Campus Suffolk lecturer and child protection expert has appeared in court on child pornography charges.

Kevin Pettican, a programme leader for social work at the Ipswich university, is facing nine allegations of making indecent photographs of a child and a further accusation of possessing indecent photographs of a child.

The 63-year-old, of Felsham Rise, Saxmundham, did not enter a plea when he appeared before South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court in Ipswich, for the first hearing of his case yesterday.

After Pettican had confirmed his name, address and date of birth to the court, prosecutor Shini Cooksley outlined the basic details of the case.

The magistrates were told the allegations centre on 92 images. These images are said to range from level one to four. Level four is the second most serious category of child pornography.

Mrs Cooksley alleged that 25 of the images involved were at level four.

Magistrates told bespectacled Pettican - who was wearing a grey suit, white shirt and blue tie - the offences he was charged with were so serious they would not be able to be dealt with in a lower court.

Another hearing was set for August 2 at South East Suffolk Magistrates’ Court. This is to commit the matter to Ipswich Crown Court.

Pettican was released on unconditional bail until the next hearing.

A spokesman for UCS said: “I can confirm that the member of staff in question has been suspended pending further inquiries.”

Two years ago Pettican presented a paper on ‘Social Work Education in Northern Iraq’ at the International Health and Social Work Conference held in Tikkurila, Finland.

He based the work on four visits to Iraq over the previous three years.

Delegates at the conference were from countries across the European Union, and from as far afield as Japan and America.

During the presentation positive ways of using the talents and experiences of older people in community projects in schools and health care were discussed.

Pettican also focused on teaching and learning opportunities for child care and child protection professionals. He also spoke about working with non-government organisations and regional government to create a child protection system.

Also appearing before magistrates in a separate hearing was Stuart Watson, of Norwich Road, Ipswich, who was accused of 15 sample charges of making indecent photographs of a child and a further accusation of possessing an indecent image of a child.

The 57-year-old did not enter a plea and was told the case would be committed to crown court at a hearing on August 2.

Mrs Cooksley said 987 of the alleged images were at Level Four while 37 were said to be at Level Five.