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The Voice contestant Jeff Anderson has been charged with 15 sexual offences, Belfast Live can reveal.

Singer Anderson, 25, from Co Down, appeared at Downpatrick Magistrate’s Court in a bid to have bail conditions changed so he could leave the UK for three weeks.

During the hearing, 16 charges were read to him including the allegation of 15 sexual offences dating between 2005 and 2013, plus a charge that he stole a number of photographs.

The charges include:

two alleged incidents of indecent assault on a separate child,

three alleged incidents of possession of an indecent photograph or pseudo-photogragh of a child,

10 alleged incidents of recording without their consent and for the purposes of sexual gratification, a person doing a private act, and

one charge of theft.

Bearded Anderson, from Newtownards, confirmed he understood the charges against him and was permitted to leave Northern Ireland to catch a flight to England where he is looking for work as a performer.

PSNI Constable Mack had opposed the change to bail conditions that would allow him to leave the UK from February 1 for three weeks.

Constable Mack said: “It’s more difficult to get people back into the jurisdiction than it is to keep them there.”

But Anderson’s solicitor, Paul Dougan, said his client had complied with all previous bail conditions without issue.

He added that Anderson was looking for court permission to travel to the Republic of Ireland if necessary and if a job came up, without breaching his bail conditions which included signing in to a UK police station every week.

He has already surrendered his passport.

The judge permitted the change of bail conditions and warned the accused that if he failed to comply with the order he would likely face being remanded in custody.

Anderson, who performed in front of The Voice judges Ricky Wilson, Sir Tom Jones, Kylie Minogue and will.i.am in 2014, appeared in court with his long hair tied back and wearing jeans and a coat.

In 2013 he had been the special West End guest in Peter Corry's entertaining annual The Music Box at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

And in 2012 he had appeared on Superstar, a TV reality show where he competed for the part of the son of God in a new production of Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber's Jesus Christ Superstar and was made understudy.

Anderson signed the altered bail conditions and left Downpatrick Magistrate's Court on Monday with his solicitor Mr Dougan.

He was driven off from court in a black Jaguar car.

The charges: