Jon Venables, one of the killers of toddler James Bulger, has been charged over indecent images of children.

Venables, whose new identity is protected, will have his trial held in private at an unnamed court, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.

The 35-year-old was recalled to prison in November after officials are said to have found indecent material on a computer during a routine check of his home. 

The CPS said: “The man formerly known as Jon Venables has been charged with offences relating to indecent images of children and will appear in the Crown Court.

“In order that justice can be done, no further details are being released at this stage and the proceedings are subject to reporting restrictions.”

Venables and Robert Thompson tortured and killed James, aged two, in Liverpool in 1993.

Venables served eight years for the murder.

He and Thompson were granted lifelong anonymity that saw them released under new identities in 2001.

Following Venables’ arrest in November, the Attorney General launched an investigation into claims his identity had been revealed on social media.

In 2013, two men who posted images they claimed to be of Venables and Thompson were given nine-month sentences, suspended for 15 months.

Breaking the injunction on identifying them carries a punishment of up to two years in prison.