A 23-year-old man appeared at Oxford Magistrates' Court yesterday accused of a series of sexual offences against children.

Stephen Clapton, of Herschel Crescent, Oxford, faces charges of meeting a girl following sexual grooming, controlling a child involved in prostitution or pornography and causing or inciting a girl to engage in sexual activity.

He also faces one charge of possessing an indecent photograph of a child and eight of making indecent photographs of children.

Clapton was given bail and ordered to return to the court for a committal hearing on Friday, August 8.