By Luke Robbins

A FAMOUS Karate instructor has pleaded guilty to abusing young pupils and possessing indecent photographs of children.

Henry Cook, known as Harry, was the head of the Seijinkai Karatedo Association, and is a 7th Dan black belt in both Shotokan and Goju Ryu systems.

He is now behind bars after admitting sexually assaulting five female students as well as both making and possessing sexually explicit pictures of young children and other sexual pictures involving animals.

Cook, 62, of Haltwhistle, Northumberland, entered his plea at Newcastle Crown Court. He is now facing a substantial prison sentence when he returns to court in March. He is currently on remand.

Police had seized 55,000 images of abused children from the married martial instructors home. This is one of the largest collections of child pornography ever found in the region. Some of the images were of the girls he abused.

Over his long career he taught hundreds of children and famously wrote definitive books on Karate.

He had already admitted 14 charges of indecent assault on two girls at a previous court appearance. At the latest hearing he was facing 29 counts of abuse...which he admitted to.

Cook was originally from South Shields. He began training in Wado Ryu Karate in 1966 and then began Shotokan after his Wado instructors left the area.

He also learned Tai Chi whilst as a Chinese language student at Durham University. In 1970 he then form the Durham University Karate Club which was part of the Karate Union of Great Britain.

He then moved to Japan where he lived for a number of years where he learned Goju Ryu Karate under Grandmaster Morio Higaonna.

After his return to the North East he combined Shotokan and Goju Ryu Karates to form a new system which he called Seijinkai Karatedo. The system now has schools in Ireland, the United States and Norway.