Former Falkirk MP pleads guilty to child sex offence

Eric Joyce, Labour MP for Falkirk from 2000 to 2012, has pled guilty at Ipswich Crown Court to a charge of making an indecent photograph of a child.
By James Trimble
Published 6th Jul 2020, 11:21 BST
Updated 7th Jul 2020, 14:59 BST
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Ex-army officer Joyce (59) appeared at court on June 10 and was released on unconditional bail pending his pre-trial date today.

Police stated Joyce, who now lives in Worlingworth, Suffolk, was arrested back in November 2018.

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Between August 7, 2013 and November 6, 2018 he made an indecent photograph of a child.

Former Falkirk MP Eric Joyce, pictured at the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election count for Falkirk West and Falkirk East, is scheduled to appear at Ipswich Crown Court tomorrowFormer Falkirk MP Eric Joyce, pictured at the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election count for Falkirk West and Falkirk East, is scheduled to appear at Ipswich Crown Court tomorrow
Former Falkirk MP Eric Joyce, pictured at the 2011 Scottish Parliamentary election count for Falkirk West and Falkirk East, is scheduled to appear at Ipswich Crown Court tomorrow

Prosecutors said the file, found on a device, was a movie file classed as a Category A image.

It was stated the 51-second movie, found on a device, “depicts a number of children”.

Joyce has now been instructed to sign onto the sex offenders register.

He is due to be sentenced on August 7.

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On his website last month, Joyce stated: “The matter of my charge, will be dealt with in the first instance on July 7 at Ipswich Crown Court at 10am. I will make no comment from now until all legal processes are at a close.

“At that point, I will make a full statement."

Joyce left the Labour Party to serve as an independent MP for Falkirk in 2012 and stepped down before the 2015 general election.