Photographer gaoled for child pornography

7th March 2009

A celebrity photographer was gaoled after police found over forty thousand indecent images of children on his computer. The man also had hundreds of videos showing children being abused.

He was arrested in 2006 after Hampshire Police raided his home in Lymington.

Following a five-day trial at Portsmouth Crown Court, the man was found guilty of 20 counts of making indecent images and videos.

The problem of child pornography is a relatively recent development as far as the law is concerned. The Children and Young Persons (Harmful Publications) Act 1955 prevented the dissemination of certain pictorial publications harmful to children and young persons.  The Obscene Publications Acts 1959 and 1964 made certain strictures against “obscene matter” although it was not really targeted at child protection.

However the Protection of Children Act 1978 prevented the exploitation of children by making indecent photographs of them.  The Act also penalises the distribution, showing and advertisement of such indecent photographs.

Sections 45 to 51 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 now deal with indecent photography of children (including those aged 16 or 17).

Read more at: http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Photographer-jailed-for-childabuse-images.5048947.jp