Jon Venables: James Bulger killer charged over indecent images of children

Two-year-old's murderer will be tried in secret at unnamed court after allegedly being caught with child abuse pictures

Jon Venables (aged 10 in image) served an eight-year sentence for killing James Bulger before being released under a new identity (PA)

One of toddler James Bulger’s killers has been charged with possessing indecent images of children.

Jon Venables was returned to prison in November after he was allegedly caught with pictures of child abuse.

He will be tried in private at an unnamed court, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.

A CPS 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 granted lifelong anonymity and released under new identities in 2001.

Following his arrest in November, the Attorney General launched an investigation into claims Venables’ 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 them carries a punishment of up to two years in prison.