Soham officers granted bail on child porn charges

The family liaison officer who looked after Jessica Chapman's family when the 10-year-old was murdered with her friend was granted bail yesterday on child pornography charges.

Along with an exhibits officer from the Soham inquiry, Detective Constable Brian Stevens was bailed on condition that he surrender his passport, report to police every day and remain at an undisclosed address.

Both men's cases were dealt with at Ipswich Crown Court as Cambridgeshire police revealed an outside force would have to review the exhibits recovered by Operation Fincham.

DC Stevens, 41, and PC Antony Goodridge, 34, were expected to be released last night after Judge Nicholas Beddard dismissed an appeal by the prosecution against a decision by magistrates to grant the officers unconditional bail. DC Stevens, who came to be a close confidant of Sharon and Leslie Chapman after their daughter disappeared with Holly Wells, was arrested on Thursday with PC Goodridge as part of an international investigation into internet child porn.

The one-hour hearing, held behind closed doors, was attended by the two solicitors for the officers, the prosecution and police from the West Midlands force, which is investigating the allegations.

DC Stevens, who is married with two children, faces three charges alleging the making and incitement to distribute indecent pseudo-photographs of children. PC Goodridge, also a father, faces four similar charges. The officers are to appear before magistrates at Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, on 11 November.

Cambridgeshire police said yesterday that officers from the Sussex force would lead an inquiry into the exhibits recovered during the murder investigation – PC Goodridge was the exhibits officer on the case. Two officers are to visit the Cambridgeshire headquarters today to begin their investigation.