A 13-YEAR-OLD boy, questioned after a swoop on suspected paedophiles, has been charged with possessing indecent images of children.

The teenager, who has not been named by police, was quizzed following a raid on his home in Thornaby, Stockton, where he lives with his parents.

At the time of his arrest in March, police described the boy as one of the youngest people ever arrested over suspected involvement in child pornography.

His arrest was a result of a four month national operation, Operation Appal, co-ordinated by Greater Manchester Police and involving 25 forces across Britain.

Uniformed officers from Teesside took part in the North-East arm of the raids and targeted two homes in Stockton and Middlesbrough where computer equipment was removed.

In total, the operation, which centred on Internet pornography, involved raids on 45 addresses nationwide.

During the investigation, officers accessed chatrooms to monitor computer-users who were allegedly trading pornographic images.

The boy, one of 33 people to be arrested, has been charged with ten offences of possessing indecent photographs of children and will appear before Teesside Youth Court on April 23.

A man from North Tyneside was also arrested, and computers seized.

A man working with a national youth organisation and two 16-year-old boys were also detained in the raids.