Paedophile vicar, 46, facing jail after admitting having 8,000 vile child abuse and animal porn images A vicar is facing jail after pleading guilty to making and possessing over 8,000 indecent pictures and videos of children as well as extreme images of animal porn. The Rev Ian Hughes, who was priest in charge of the Wirral parishes Poulton and Seacombe, admitted 16 counts relating to the images and footage at Liverpool Crown Court yesterday. Hughes, 46, appeared in the dock wearing a dark suit and tie without his trademark nose ring and dog collar and replied guilty as each charge was put to him. Child porn charges: Merseyside vicar Ian Hughes has pleaded guilty to possessing over 8,000 indecent images of children Hughes was the priest in charge at St Luke's Church, Poulton, Wallasey, left, and St Paul's church in Seacombe, right He also admitted possession of an extreme pornographic image that was 'grossly offensive and disgusting' involving an animal. Hughes was charged following a search of his home in, Wallasey, on May 22 last year. Guilty plea: Hughes is pictured leaving Liverpool Crown Court yesterday Pornographic material recovered included more than 6,000 images and movies at the lowest category of seriousness, more than 1,000 at category two, more than 500 at categories three and four and more than 60 at category five, the most serious. Judge David Aubrey adjourned sentencing until January 28 so a pre-sentence report could be written and said Hughes would have to sign on the sex offenders register immediately. He told him: 'You will now be subject to the relevant requirements on the register. The court will consider all matters on that day and determine what is the appropriate sentence. All sentencing options will remain open to the court. 'In recent years Reverend Hughes won a £270,000 Heritage Lottery grant to rebuild the spire at St Paul's and oversaw the move of the congregation of St Luke's in Poulton to Park Primary after the church building closed. Following his arrest on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children he was suspended by both the Church of England and Wallasey school Park Primary where he was a governor. After charges were brought against him a spokesman for the Church of England's Diocese of Chester said: 'Ian Hughes was suspended from all church duties as soon as these very serious and disturbing allegations became known to us.' Arrest: Hughes was charged following a search of his home in, Wallasey, on May 22 last year