A TREDEGAR photographer took modelling shots of teenage girls and manipulated them on his computer, a court heard.

John Richard Wilson, 51, of Gelli Road, Tredegar, appeared in Newport crown court after admitting 16 counts of making indecent pictures of girls under 18.

Wilson was charged with 20 counts, but the prosecution accepted his guilty pleas to 16 charges at an earlier hearing.

Prosecutor Saf Ibrahim said Wilson took the photographs at his studio in Tredegar town centre between 2005 and 2007. He said the girls visited the studio to have photographs taken for modelling portfolios, including swimwear, fashion and lingerie shots.

Of the 16 charges Wilson admitted, eight girls were aged 17, four 16, five 15 and one was 14 years old.

The court heard that some of the 17 year olds had consented to topless shots, but despite their consent it was still illegal as the minimum age is 18.

Mr Ibrahim said Wilson had taken the shots and then manipulated them on his computer either by changing the lighting, format or zooming in.

He said Wilson admitted the charges when interviewed and said he got sexual gratification from taking the shots.

Representing Wilson, Leighton Hughes said each photograph was taken with the consent of the model, often in the presence of a parent, but none of the models had consented to Wilson conducting the “perverse and deviant act of manipulating the images on his computer.”

Mr Hughes said Wilson had fallen prey to temptation when asked to take the photographs.

He said Wilson had “gone from being the photographer that everyone wanted for their wedding to being the pervert.”

The court heard Wilson had not picked up a camera since his arrest and had no intention of doing so again.

Judge David Morris adjourned sentencing until this morning.