A SINGER who appeared on popular BBC talent show The Voice has been charged with 15 sexual offences.
Jeffrey Anderson, 25, of Crawfordsburn Road, Newtownards, Co. Down has been charged with 16 offences in total, including a charge that he stole a number of photographs.
The allegations were read out on Monday, February 1 at Downpatrick Magistrates' Court, as Anderson attempted to have his bail conditions changed so that he could leave Britain for three weeks.
His charges include: two alleged incidents of indecent assault on a separate child, three alleged incidents of possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photograph of a child, ten alleged incidents of recording a person doing a private act without their consent for the purposes of sexual gratification, and one charge of theft.
The 16 charges relate to offences that occurred between 2005 and 2013.
In Monday’s hearing, Anderson confirmed he understood the charges against him and was allowed to leave Northern Ireland to travel to England where he is looking for work as a musician, Belfast Live reports.
PSNI Constable Mack had opposed the change to bail conditions that would allow him to leave Britain from February 1 for three weeks.
“It’s more difficult to get people back into the jurisdiction than it is to keep them there,” he said.
Paul Dougan, Anderson’s solicitor, argued that his client had previously complied with all bail conditions and said that he was looking to amend the bail terms to allow him to also travel to Ireland for work.
He is currently required to sign in to a British police station every week and has already surrendered his passport.
The judge permitted the change of bail conditions, but warned Anderson that if he failed to comply with the order he could be remanded in custody.
He is next due to appear at Newtownards Courthouse on March 8.
Anderson appeared on The Voice in 2014 and performed in front of judges Ricky Wilson, Sir Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue and Will.i.am.
In 2012 he had also featured on Superstar, a TV reality show in which contestants competed for a role in Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar.
