A 20-YEAR-OLD man has appeared at court charged with possession of more than 45,000 indecent images of children.

Ethan Demitri Chapman entered no pleas to three charges of making indecent photographs or pseudo-photographs of a child.

The offences date back to between October 2015 and August 2018.

It is alleged the 20-year-old had 36,186 category A images, considered to be the most severe, in his possession on a smartphone and a laptop.

Chapman, of Swallow Close, Darlington, spoke only to confirm his name when he appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates' Court yesterday, Thursday, January 9.

He was given unconditional bail by magistrates and he is due to appear at Teesside Crown Court on Wednesday, February 5.