A 15-YEAR-OLD boy, from the Lowestoft area, has appeared in court on nine child sex related charges.

The teenager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is accused of seven sex assaults on two younger boys and a further two offences relating to child pornography.

The majority of the offences are alleged to have taken place when the accused was 13 and 14 years old.

The teenager was charged on April 27 following a police inquiry lasting several months, which saw him twice being bailed in connection with the allegations.

He appeared before Lowestoft Youth Court for the first hearing of his case last Wednesday and the case was subsequently adjourned.

He is due to return to the same court next month.

At the next hearing it is expected magistrates will commit the proceedings to Ipswich Crown Court.

The accused teenager is facing one allegation of assaulting an eight-year-old boy by touching him sexually.

He also faces four further charges of inciting the same boy to engage in sexual activity.

The five offences are said to have taken place in 2009 and 2010.

The teenager is also facing two further accusations. However, these relate to a different child, who was aged 11 at the time. They are alleged to have occurred in 2009.

The penultimate charge relates to an allegation of making indecent photographs of a child in 2009, namely video footage and images.

The final accusation is that the teenager was caught in possession of indecent photographs of a child on December 5, 2010.