Image caption Simon Thomas arriving at court on Wednesday

Former Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

He admitted all charges put before him at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court.

The court heard Thomas admitted making more than 500 indecent photographs of children and more than 70 films.

He was bailed on condition that he surrendered his passport with police and will have no unsupervised contact with children under 16.

He will appear before Mold Magistrates court on 31 October while pre-sentence reports are being prepared.

Thomas quit the Senedd and his party after being arrested in July.

Helen Mary Jones, who was next on Plaid's regional list for the Mid and West Wales seat, returned to the assembly to replace Mr Thomas in August.

An NSPCC Cymru spokesman said: "Thomas has admitted very serious offences and by accumulating this vile material has helped fuel the demand for more to be created and for more harm to be inflicted on vulnerable, young people."</s>Former Assembly Member Simon Thomas has pleaded guilty to making indecent images and videos of children.

The former Plaid Cymru politician appeared at Aberystwyth Magistrates' Court where he admitted three counts of making indecent images of children.

The court heard 150 pictures and videos were found at the home of the former Welsh Assembly member in July and were in the highest category of illegal images.

The 54-year-old pleaded guilty to making 94 still and 56 moving images of category A, 87 still and 16 moving images of category B, and 354 still and five moving images of category C.

Thomas resigned in July from his role as a Plaid Cymru Assembly Member for Mid and West Wales.

He lives in Aberystwyth with his wife and two children.

District Judge Gwyn Jones warned Thomas "all sentencing options are open" before he adjourned the hearing for a pre-sentence report.

Thomas was ordered to surrender his passport to police and was prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children below the age of 16.

District Judge Jones said: "The fact the court has adjourned today for a report should not be taken as an indication of any predetermined sentence.

"This includes custody or the case being sent to the crown court."

Thomas, from Penparcau, Aberystwyth, was granted conditional bail until he appears at Mold Magistrates' Court on October 31.

He resigned from Plaid Cymru and from his role as the Welsh Assembly member for Mid and West Wales after he was arrested in July.

Thomas was also MP for Ceredigion between 2000 and 2005.</s>These are external links and will open in a new window

Former Plaid Cymru AM Simon Thomas has pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.

He admitted all charges put before him at Aberystwyth Magistrates Court.

The court heard Thomas admitted making more than 500 indecent photographs of children and more than 70 films.

He was bailed on condition that he surrendered his passport with police and will have no unsupervised contact with children under 16.

He will appear before Mold Magistrates court on 31 October while pre-sentence reports are being prepared.

Thomas quit the Senedd and his party after being arrested in July.

Helen Mary Jones, who was next on Plaid's regional list for the Mid and West Wales seat, returned to the assembly to replace Mr Thomas in August.
Former Member of Parliament and Member of the National Assembly for Wales, Simon Thomas, pleads guilty to three counts of making indecent images of children.