THREE times world karate champion and instructor Tim Stephens pleaded guilty to a string of sickening sex offences against children.

Stephens, 50, from Alcester Road, Poole admitted possessing more than 38,000 indecent images and other offences when he appeared before Judge Samuel Wiggs at Bournemouth Crown Court.

Dressed in a smart grey suit, he spoke only to admit his guilt to 43 charges, relating to offences carried out between 2005 and 2011.

He now faces a lengthy prison sentence.

Stephens admitted one charge of assault by penetration, one of attempting to cause a child to watch a sexual act, nine of voyeurism, one of distributing indecent images of children and one of taking indecent photographs of children.

He also pleaded guilty to 19 offences of possessing level one images, five of level two, four of level three and two of level four – indecent images are ranked in order of seriousness with one the lowest and five considered to be the most serious.

The charges relate to numerous children.

The judge ordered that the case be adjourned for reports and Stephens will be sentenced at a date to be fixed. He was remanded in custody.

Stephens hired rooms at Ashdown and Rossmore Everyone Active leisure centres for his Supreme Karate classes, a spokesman for Poole Borough Council and centre managers Sports Leisure Management said.

But the offences are not believed to relate to his classes.

Although not employed by either body, he had been subject to all the appropriate checks before being allowed to hire the facilities.

This included a CRB check.

Supreme Karate sessions were suspended following his arrest, until a new instructor took over on October 1 last year.

“SLM takes the safety of all of its customers very seriously,” the spokesman said.

“Dorset Police and partner agencies are continuing to work closely together in support of the investigation,” a police spokesman told the Daily Echo.

Anyone with concerns should contact Dorset Police on 101.