Replies

My response from another thread about the same website letter:

I have to be a cynic on this(although I'm open to defense arguments and believe the prosecution needs to show more than simple possession). While this writing may support his alibi, it is by no means clear cut in that regard. Who is to say that Pete didn't at some time confide in a lawyer confidante that he had an addiction to child porn and was worried that he would one day be caught? The lawyer could easily have said start create a "doing research" defense and included this letter as a form of pre-emptive cover.

All that is complete speculation. Its not that I neccessarily believe such to have happened, but rather present an example why one shouldn't totally assume that this letter exhonerates him.

Who is to say that Pete didn't at some time confide in a lawyer confidante that he had an addiction to child porn and was worried that he would one day be caught? The lawyer could easily have said start create a "doing research" defense and included this letter as a form of pre-emptive cover.

I can certainly say that this is highly unlikely and non-persuasive. If someone were just papering a defense in advance (and remember we're talking ONE FULL YEAR in advance!) as you suggest, wouldn't a private letter suffice -- why would Townshend put the letter/statement on his WEBSITE, for all the world to see? Do you normally correlate self-guilty, furtive, secret behavior with WORLD-WIDE PUBLIC pronouncements? Signed by your own name, one that is known world-wide? Hardly.

Hell, even on FR among ourselves we don't use our own names.