A man has admitted to taking an indecent image of a child ahead of a major trial involving a group of up to 13 people.

Callum Hesketh, 22, was brought before Bolton Crown Court this week, having been arrested as part of “Operation Pavarotti”, an investigation into alleged child sex exploitation in the Blackrod area.

His 12 co-defendants, from across Bolton and Lancashire, had already denied a range of charges against them.

Virginia Hayton, defending, said: “His case has been officially split off from the main trial that is to take place.”

The Bolton News: (L-R top row) Darbyshire, Fitzgerald, Flatters (L-R middle row) Haslam, Linfoot, Corley (L-R bottom row) Hesketh, Turner, Rae (L-R top row) Darbyshire, Fitzgerald, Flatters (L-R middle row) Haslam, Linfoot, Corley (L-R bottom row) Hesketh, Turner, Rae (Image: PA)

She told the court that Hesketh, of Chorley, had been charged with taking an indecent image of a child, using a Snapchat video in June of 2018 and with distributing that video.

He pleaded guilty to making the image but was not yet required to enter a plea for the second charge of distributing it.

Ms Hayton instead said she and the other parties involved would be seeking further evidence ahead of another hearing later this year.

Timothy Ashmole, prosecuting, agreed to allow this.

Judge Timothy Clayson ruled that Hesketh will be brought back before the court for a mention or possible plea hearing on October 6.

His 12 co-defendants are also set to appear that day for a further case management hearing ahead of their trial on September 23 2024.  

The co-defendants include Ashley Darbyshire, 26, of Bolton Road, Westhoughton, Corey Barratt, 22, of Wigan, Harvey Aspden, 23, of Bolton, Jack Poulson, 29, of Blackrod, Richard Haslam, 34, of Bolton, and James Fitzgerald, 34, of Bolton.

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They also include Elliott Turner, 24, of Bolton, Brandon Harwood, 23, of Horwich, Ross Corley, 28, of Blackrod, Daniel Flatters, 32, of Darcy Lever, Michael Linfoot, 22, of Chorley and Thomas Rae, 21, also of Chorley.

They all deny a wide range of child sex charges. 

All 13 have been granted bail on terms including that they stay at their addresses and that they have no contact with any girls under 16-years-old, other than is unavoidable in the course of daily life.

They have also been warned not to have any co-association with each other or contact with the alleged victims and to stay away from an address in Blackrod.