Soham officers granted bail

The officers have already appeared once

Two police officers who were involved in the Soham murder inquiry have appeared before magistrates on charges of child pornography.

Detective Constable Brian Stevens and Police Constable Anthony Goodridge were given bail at Bury St Edmund magistrates' court, in Suffolk on Friday, to appear at a later date.

Mr Stevens, 41, faces 11 charges including three of indecent assault of two girls under 16 and eight of possessing and distributing indecent photographs of children.

His Cambridgeshire police colleague Mr Goodridge, 34, faces 16 counts relating to indecent images of children.

Father-of-two Mr Stevens spoke only to confirm his date of birth and did not enter a plea.

His case was adjourned until 3 January.

He read a poem at the funeral of Holly and Jessica and was the family liaison officer for the Chapman family.

New charges

The 10-year-old school friends disappeared from the Cambridgeshire village of Soham on 4 August, sparking a major police hunt.

Their bodies were discovered 13 days later near Lakenheath, Suffolk, just eight miles from their homes.

Mr Goodridge worked as an exhibits officer on the case.

He is due to reappear in court next week.

The two officers were arrested in September as part of a worldwide investigation into alleged internet pornography, and initially faced seven charges between them.

Police laid another 17 charges last month following forensic examinations of both men's computers.