THE hearing of an academic charged with possession of 182,677 pornographic images of children has been adjourned.
Neil Barry Pomeroy, formerly of Darlington, appeared at Teesside Crown Court yesterday.
The 29-year-old, who holds a doctorate in physics, is also charged with 15 counts of making indecent images of children, and one count of failing to surrender to bail
Mr Pomeroy entered no plea.
At the request of the defence counsel, Judge Leslie Spittle agreed to adjourn the case for eight weeks so Mr Pomeroy can undergo psychiatric assessment to find out if he is mentally fit to enter a plea or to face trial.
The defence team argued that a physical condition suffered by Mr Pomeroy - Marphan Syndrome - could have impacted on his mental health.
Mr Pomeroy was remanded in custody and ordered to return to court on February 9 for a plea and case management hearing.
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