Ex-Copeland councillor William Kirkbride denies child sex offences
BBCA former Labour councillor has denied committing two child sex offences.
William James Kirkbride, 57, pleaded not guilty at Carlisle Crown Court to arranging or facilitating the commission of a child sex offence.
He also denied trying to communicate sexually with a child he was said to have thought was 14 "for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification".
Mr Kirkbride, of Queen Street, Whitehaven, is due to stand trial in May.
The court heard both charges arose out of alleged incidents said to have occurred in the Whitehaven area on 27 October last year.
Mr Kirkbride, who represented the Harbour ward on Copeland Borough Council, was bailed to live at Queen Street.
Judge Nicholas Barker ruled he must not have any unsupervised contact with any child under 18 and must not use the internet to communicate with anyone aged under 18.
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