Townshend Cleared of Possessing Kid Porn - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

AKA · 05-07-2003, 01:05 PM

Townshend Cleared of Possessing Kid Porn

The Associated Press

LONDON - Rock guitarist Pete Townshend, co-founder of The Who, was cleared Wednesday of possessing pornographic images of children but still was placed on a national register of sex offenders.

That registration was part of a formal police caution Townshend received for accessing a Web site containing images of child abuse.

Townshend was arrested in January on suspicion of making and possessing indecent images of children. The arrest was part of Operation Ore, an FBI-led crackdown on Internet child pornography.

After a four-month investigation, London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday the 57-year-old rocker "was not in possession of any downloaded child abuse images" but had accessed a site containing such images in 1999.

The musician acknowledged using his credit card to enter a Web site advertising child pornography but said he was doing research for his autobiography.

"I am not a pedophile," Townshend said at the time of his arrest.

The title character in Townshend's rock opera "Tommy" — a deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard — is sexually abused by an uncle, and Townshend said he believed he was sexually abused as a young boy while in the care of his mentally ill grandmother.

On Wednesday, Townshend acknowledged he had been wrong to access the Web site, but said police had accepted he had no "nefarious purpose" in doing so.

"As I made clear at the outset, I accessed the site because of my concerns at the shocking material readily available on the Internet to children as well as adults, and as part of my research toward the campaign I had been putting together since 1995 to counter damage done by all kinds of pornography on the Internet, but especially any involving child abuse," he said in a statement.

Police said it was not a defense "to access these images for research or out of curiosity."

As part of the cautioning procedure, Townshend's fingerprints, photograph and a DNA sample will be taken by police and he will be placed on a national sex offender registry for five years.

Townshend was one of The Who's four founding members, along with bassist John Entwistle, singer Roger Daltrey and drummer Keith Moon. Moon died in 1978 and Entwistle died last year, but surviving band members continued touring.

The group, founded in London in the early 1960s, was part of the first British rock invasion with the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Their hits included "My Generation," "I Can See for Miles," "Pinball Wizard" and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

dlemond · 05-07-2003, 03:47 PM

OK there Pete.

Still, it's a shame that Townshend and Jackson Daycare Center never got to see the light of day.

Brian · 05-07-2003, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by AKA
The title character in Townshend's rock opera "Tommy" — a deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard — is sexually abused by an uncle, and Townshend said he believed he was sexually abused as a young boy while in the care of his mentally ill grandmother.

[/B]

Wait a second. I thought Roger Daltrey played Tommy?

ABlairican Pie · 05-08-2003, 12:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dlemond
OK there Pete.

Still, it's a shame that Townshend and Jackson Daycare Center never got to see the light of day.

I think there is a BIG difference between Pete Townsend and Michael Jackson. Townsend says that his purpose for looking at child pornography was for research (in spite of the illegality of it), but Michael Jackson continues to be in denial about his actions.
Pete Townsend has been a long respected member of the music community. Jacko is Howard Hughes boy-child.

ABlairican Pie · 05-08-2003, 01:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BJL

Wait a second. I thought Roger Daltrey played Tommy?

I think Pete Townsend wrote it.

Brian · 05-08-2003, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain ABlairica

I think Pete Townsend wrote it.

Brian · 05-08-2003, 01:19 AM

But either way it was a great movie.

AKA · 05-08-2003, 01:51 AM

The article is referring more to the album "Tommy," which predates the movie by about six years.

SBTB Geek · 05-08-2003, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain ABlairica

I think there is a BIG difference between Pete Townsend and Michael Jackson. Townsend says that his purpose for looking at child pornography was for research (in spite of the illegality of it), but Michael Jackson continues to be in denial about his actions.
Pete Townsend has been a long respected member of the music community. Jacko is Howard Hughes boy-child.

1. Jackson was never proved guilty.
2. Townsend was found guilty,of actually accessing websites with such a content. "It was for research"-- YEAH RIGHT!
3. Townsend will have to register as a sex offender.

In all reality, Jackson is more respected music-wise than Townsend.

dlemond · 05-08-2003, 10:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Captain ABlairica

I think there is a BIG difference between Pete Townsend and Michael Jackson. Townsend says that his purpose for looking at child pornography was for research (in spite of the illegality of it), but Michael Jackson continues to be in denial about his actions.
Pete Townsend has been a long respected member of the music community. Jacko is Howard Hughes boy-child.

I know, I was just kidding.

My point is you don't really know what Pete was up to.
I really hope he was telling the truth, I love The Who and Pete's solo stuff- I've seen him and The Who live (separately).

And as for Michael Jackson (Cap, I agree with you), convicted or not, let me put it to you this way:

If the truth straight from God was written down on a card and there was a gun pointed at your head by someone who says,

"Did Michael Jackson ever molest a child? Get it wrong and you die."

What would your answer be?

Yeah, I thought so.

ABlairican Pie · 05-09-2003, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by SBTB Geek

1. Jackson was never proved guilty.
2. Townsend was found guilty,of actually accessing websites with such a content. "It was for research"-- YEAH RIGHT!
3. Townsend will have to register as a sex offender.

In all reality, Jackson is more respected music-wise than Townsend.

Yes, I am willing to give Pete the benefit of a doubt that he was doing what he did for legitimate purposes, because he was researching things for his autobiography that would help him and others understand what a victim of sexual abuse goes through. It's like if a person were writing about their life story which involved drugs and crime, and they had to go undercover in some way to find out information.

Pete Townsend may have to register as a sex offender, technically, for five years, but that still does not make him a "pervert". What he did was illegal, but it does not make him what he is accused of. Law enforcement officials look at child pornography, too--does that make them perverts? (Of course, a lot of these kiddie-porn sites are fronts for the Feds, anyway, to catch the bad guys.)

Yeah, I guess Michael Jackson has more respect than Mr. Pinball Wizard. Look at all the prime-time specials he's had in this month
alone....

05-07-2003, 01:05 PM	#1
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	Townshend Cleared of Possessing Kid Porn Townshend Cleared of Possessing Kid Porn The Associated Press LONDON - Rock guitarist Pete Townshend, co-founder of The Who, was cleared Wednesday of possessing pornographic images of children but still was placed on a national register of sex offenders. That registration was part of a formal police caution Townshend received for accessing a Web site containing images of child abuse. Townshend was arrested in January on suspicion of making and possessing indecent images of children. The arrest was part of Operation Ore, an FBI-led crackdown on Internet child pornography. After a four-month investigation, London's Metropolitan Police said Wednesday the 57-year-old rocker "was not in possession of any downloaded child abuse images" but had accessed a site containing such images in 1999. The musician acknowledged using his credit card to enter a Web site advertising child pornography but said he was doing research for his autobiography. "I am not a pedophile," Townshend said at the time of his arrest. The title character in Townshend's rock opera "Tommy" — a deaf, dumb and blind pinball wizard — is sexually abused by an uncle, and Townshend said he believed he was sexually abused as a young boy while in the care of his mentally ill grandmother. On Wednesday, Townshend acknowledged he had been wrong to access the Web site, but said police had accepted he had no "nefarious purpose" in doing so. "As I made clear at the outset, I accessed the site because of my concerns at the shocking material readily available on the Internet to children as well as adults, and as part of my research toward the campaign I had been putting together since 1995 to counter damage done by all kinds of pornography on the Internet, but especially any involving child abuse," he said in a statement. Police said it was not a defense "to access these images for research or out of curiosity." As part of the cautioning procedure, Townshend's fingerprints, photograph and a DNA sample will be taken by police and he will be placed on a national sex offender registry for five years. Townshend was one of The Who's four founding members, along with bassist John Entwistle, singer Roger Daltrey and drummer Keith Moon. Moon died in 1978 and Entwistle died last year, but surviving band members continued touring. The group, founded in London in the early 1960s, was part of the first British rock invasion with the Rolling Stones and The Beatles. Their hits included "My Generation," "I Can See for Miles," "Pinball Wizard" and "Won't Get Fooled Again."

05-07-2003, 03:47 PM	#2
dlemond Hey, I know you. Moderator Forum Veteran Join Date: Dec 03, 2001 Location: New Jersey Posts: 6,751	OK there Pete. Still, it's a shame that Townshend and Jackson Daycare Center never got to see the light of day.

05-08-2003, 01:19 AM	#7
Brian Member Forum Celebrity Join Date: Jun 23, 2001 Posts: 20,451	But either way it was a great movie.

05-08-2003, 01:51 AM	#8
AKA Member Forum Star Join Date: Dec 17, 2001 Posts: 15,746	The article is referring more to the album "Tommy," which predates the movie by about six years.