THE father of murdered shopworker Jenny Nicholl appeared in court yesterday to face child pornography charges.

Brian Edwin Nicholl, 49, is accused of 16 counts of making indecent photographs of children between May 18 and June 18 this year.

The alleged offences came to light during the police investigation into his daughter's disappearance.

Mr Nicholl was charged on November 28 with downloading images onto his home computer.

Police said last night that Mr Nicholl, from Richmond, North Yorkshire, was not a suspect in the murder inquiry.

A spokesman said: "It is stressed that these alleged offences are not directly connected with the investigation into Miss Nicholl's murder, except in as much as they came to light during the course of the investigation.

"Mr Nicholl is not being treated as a suspect in the murder investigation.

"The matters are separate, and the investigation team continues to work closely with Jenny's family and to keep the family fully informed as to progress."

Mr Nicholl appeared before magistrates in Northallerton yesterday afternoon. He did not enter a plea and magistrates declined jurisdiction.

The case was adjourned until January, when it will be sent to Teesside Crown Court.

Mr Nicholl, who appeared in court wearing a dark blue blazer, tie and light brown trousers, was released on unconditional bail.

Chairman of the bench Clive Knowle-Johnson warned that he must appear in crown court on January 26.

He said any offences committed while on bail would be treated as more serious.

Mr Nicholl has remained out of the spotlight throughout the investigation into his daughter's disappearance.

Yesterday's court appearance came less than 24 hours after Jenny's mother, Ann Nicholl, made a tearful appeal for information on BBC1's Crimewatch programme.

Mrs Nicholl told viewers there was no reason to explain her daughter's disappearance.

She said: "Her passport is still there, money is still in the bank.

"There was no preparations for leaving at all."

Detectives were yesterday following up calls made to the studio and incident room in Richmond as a result of the programme.

Detective Inspector Pete Martin, the officer leading the investigation, told viewers he needed one final piece of the jigsaw to solve Jenny's disappearance.

He said new information suggested someone in Richmond held the answer to the inquiry.

He said he believed texts sent from the Jedburgh area of the Scottish Borders, and the Carlisle area of Cumbria, on Jenny's phone after her disappearance, could have been sent by the killer.

He said: "They were sent by someone very close to Jenny, perhaps even a boyfriend."

A replica of Jenny's old teddy bear was shown on the programme.

Earlier this year, Jenny took the toy out of the house, saying a friend had offered to sew on new badges.

The badges were found on the floor of her Rover car, which was discovered four days after her disappearance at the Holly Hill Inn, in Richmond.

However, the bear is still missing and detectives say its whereabouts could be the vital clue they are looking for.

Jenny - who was 19 when she disappeared - was last seen at the family home in Bolton Avenue, Richmond, on June 30.

Police launched a murder investigation after announcing they had found nothing to indicate she was still alive.

Her body has never been found, despite numerous searches of woods, moorland and mines on the outskirts of Richmond.

Jenny was known to go camping in the area.

The Nicholl family declined to comment yesterday.