One of toddler James Bulger’s killers has been charged over indecent images of children and his trial is to be held in private at an unnamed court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.
Jon Venables was arrested and returned to prison in November after he was allegedly caught with child abuse images.
The CPS released a statement on Friday revealing that Venables had been charged and was to face trial.
The statement said: “The man formerly known as Jon Venables has been charged with offences relating to indecent images of children and will appear in the Crown Court.
“In order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions.”
Venables and his friend Robert Thompson tortured and killed two-year-old James in Liverpool in 1993 when they were both aged 10.
After serving eight-year sentences, they were released under new identities in 2001.
Following the arrest of Venables in November, the attorney general launched an investigation into claims his new identity had been revealed on social media.
In 2013, two men who posted images they claimed to be of Venables and Thompson were given nine-month sentences, suspended for 15 months.
Breaking the injunction on identifying the two carries a punishment of up to two years in prison.
– PA