A pensioner accused of serious child sex offences appeared in court.

Michael Gear, 65, appeared at Southampton Magistrates’ Court facing seven charges.

He is accused of making 19 indecent images of children and possession of eight extreme pornographic images, obtained between May and August 2024.

The photographs range from category A, the most serious, to category C, the court heard.

Gear is also accused of attempting to engage in sexual communication with a child, arranging or facilitating a child sex offence, both between May and July 2024, and attempting to cause a child under 13 to look at an image of sexual activity in May 2024.

Appearing at Southampton Magistrates’ Court on May 13, Gear, of Denbigh Close, Totton, did not enter a plea for all seven charges.

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A second charge of causing a child under 13 to look at an image of sexual activity was withdrawn “in favour of another offence”.

Gear will appear before Southampton Crown Court on June 9 where he will enter his pleas.

According to the Sentencing Council, the maximum sentence for possession of category A photographs is three years’ custody, while the maximum for category B photographs is 18 months’ custody.

For possession of category C images, the maximum sentence is 26 weeks’ custody.