A SENIOR education official has appeared in court charged with making around 600 indecent images of children.

Robert Ian Finlay, 53, of Barnes Crescent, Bournemouth, faces 17 charges relating to making indecent photographs/pseudo-photographs of a child between January 1, 2009 and April 4 this year.

One of the counts relates to 585 images, and of the total number alleged, prosecutor Lee Turner said 100 are the “highest level of indecency”.

Finlay, a Bournemouth council employee, spoke in a strong, clear voice to confirm his name, date of birth and address during the hearing at the town’s magistrates’ court. He cast his eyes down while court officials discussed a date for his next court appearance.

The defendant, who was represented by Mark Proctor, said: “I am not in a position to indicate a plea.”

Finlay is a governor at the Bourne Academy in East Howe.

According to his online CV, he taught at the Epiphany Primary School in Bournemouth during the 1990s, and Winton Primary School between 1994 and 2004, where he was the school’s ICT co-ordinator.

The council has formally suspended him from his duties, and chief executive Tony Williams told the Daily Echo earlier this month that officials acted “immediately on being given the information from Dorset Police”.

Finlay was released on unconditional bail, and will appear for a preliminary hearing at Bournemouth Crown Court on July 15 this year.