Who star Townsend bailed (insisted he had done so for research and was not a paedophile)

bbc ^ | 1/13/2003 | bbc

[TLBSHOW]

Rock star Pete Townshend has been released on bail by police after he admitted viewing images of child pornography on the internet.

His solicitor John Cohen said officers had interviewed Mr Townshend for one hour and twenty minutes at Twickenham station, south-west London.

The guitarist had been detained on suspicion of possessing and making indecent images of children and of incitement to distribute such images.

Mr Townshend has admitted he gave his credit card details to see a child porn website, but insisted he had done so for research and was not a paedophile.

Police earlier spent over four hours searching the 57-year-old's home in Richmond, south-west London.

Consent

They arrived at the house at 1500 GMT on Monday and were accompanied by four detectives who interviewed him.

The operation was agreed by mutual consent said Mr Townshend's solicitor.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman outside Mr Townshend's home said: "There will be a thorough and detailed search of the premises. It will take as long as necessary."

She said a search warrant had been obtained and computer forensics officers were among those attending.

[Palladin]

I hate for you to find out this way that one of your old idols has feet of clay. But Scotland Yard doesn't get involved unless they have solid probable cause. Nor do they execute search warrants and carry out bags and bags of stuff on someone who may just have accidentally downloaded child pornography.

Townshend is toast.

[ClashWho]

Pete Townshend forced their hand by publicly admitting that he had used his credit card to access a child porn site. They HAD to arrest him after that. As a long time Who fan, I know that Pete has discussed his hatred of child pornography, as well as his own suspected sexual abuse, on several occasions over the past few years. Saying that he was laying the groundwork for his defense in the event that he was caught strikes me as very improbable.