Man accused over 'file-sharing website'

An IT consultant appeared in court today charged with operating one of the world's biggest illegal music file-sharing websites.

Alan Ellis, 25, from Middlesbrough, was at Teesside Crown Court where he faced a charge of conspiracy to defraud.

His arrest in October last year followed an investigation into the OiNK.cd website which 180,000 members used to download songs.

The inquiry involved Interpol, Dutch police and the British Phonographic Industry.

The website was shut down by police and the website's server, based in Amsterdam, was taken down by the Dutch authorities.

Mr Ellis did not enter a plea today, and his case was re-listed for 23 March.

Five others appeared before the same court charged with copyright infringement offences.

They were: James Garner, 19, from Winsford, Cheshire; Michael Myers, 34, of Brough in East Yorkshire; Matthew Wyatt, a student in London but originally from Stamford, Lincolnshire, 19; Mark Tugwell, 19, from Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and Steven Diprose, 21, from Staines in Middlesex.

Further hearings in relations to those charges will be held at a later date.