Pete Towshend arrested on child porno charges

Anyone else hear about this? Over the weekend, Pete said he had looked at some child porn sites, but only as research for his autobiography (he believes he was abused as a child), and now after searching his house police have arrested him. Personnally, I think the British media might have blown this one out of proportion (Pete made allusions to child abuse in "Tommy"), but Pete was stupid enough to look in these sites. Hopefully this will turn out to be much ado about nothing.

Maybe this is bad karma for me snickering about Gary Glitter's arrest for the same thing back in 1999 or whenever. I really didn't appreciate it when the Fox News anchor equated Pete with David Westerfield, the child murderer who also cited "research" as his reason for looking at child porn sites.

I agree, hopefully it will turn out to be nothing, but i've just read on AOL news that he's been arrested now, its all looking rather dodgy, not good at all.

"TOWNSHEND ARRESTED ON CHILD PORN CHARGES

PETE Townshend has been arrested on suspicion of possessing, making and of incitement to distribute indecent images of children.

He is currently in custody at a south-west London police station.

A Scotland Yard spokesman confirms two arrest warrants have been executed at separate addresses in Richmond, Surrey.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "He has been arrested under the Protection of Children Act 1978 on suspicion of possessing indecent images of children, suspicion of making indecent images of children and on suspicion of incitement to distribute indecent images of children."

"One address is a business address and the other is residential. A number of items, including computers, have been removed from the residential address for forensic examination.

"The Met are not discussing the matter further. Officers from the major investigations team, part of the Child Protection command, are conducting the inquiry."

Liv

well, as of now (8 p.m. eastern time), he hasn't been charged yet. let's hope this is just a big mistake!

in other fucked up news...the Premier of British Columbia, Gordan Campell was arrested for drinking and driving yesterday.

dont think he's been charged yet but he's been released on bail. :(

Liv

"Research"?

yeah, right.

Pete got busted and now his high paid Soliciter will get him off (like pictures of little kids).

I think it's very shady for him to claim he "may have been abused" and was only researching child porn...what kind of research requires a credit card number? what do you need to see on those sites that you couldn't already know about...there was a major story on child porn on telly recently and i don't understand why PT would ever visit one of those sites if it weren't for PLEASURE. Sick, twisted pleasure.

i hope he really is innocent of these charges and not simply freed because he has the money to spend on a good lawyer/solicitor.

Well, I don't think it'll change my appreciation for the Who's artistry if Pete does turn out to be an "Uncle Ernie" himself (though that's highly unlikely). after all, Keith Moon beat his wife and neglected his kid, Sid Vicious stabbed Nancy Spungen, Elvis Costello called Ray Charles the "N" word, and Lou Reed did all sorts of things throughout the Seventies, but I still listen to their music. You can seperate the artist from the art, so let me make that clear.

Given Pete's involvement in the past with anit-child abuse causes, it seems farfetched to assume that he's some closet pedophile hiding behind such a banner. Like I said in my previous post, "Tommy" is all about child abuse and the toll it takes. In the best possible circumstances, Pete really was just "finding out what the enemy is" and trying to unlock some lost memory of his own possible abuse.

And let's be clear on this point: at the time of posting, he hadn't been charged with anything, just arrested on suspicion. Innocent until proven guilty, BLT, innocent until proven guilty....

Originally posted by Taboo # 7 Well, I don't think it'll change my appreciation for the Who's artistry if Pete does turn out to be an "Uncle Ernie" himself (though that's highly unlikely). after all, Keith Moon beat his wife and neglected his kid, Sid Vicious stabbed Nancy Spungen, Elvis Costello called Ray Charles the "N" word, and Lou Reed did all sorts of things throughout the Seventies, but I still listen to their music. You can seperate the artist from the art, so let me make that clear.Given Pete's involvement in the past with anit-child abuse causes, it seems farfetched to assume that he's some closet pedophile hiding behind such a banner. Like I said in my previous post, "Tommy" is all about child abuse and the toll it takes. In the best possible circumstances, Pete really was just "finding out what the enemy is" and trying to unlock some lost memory of his own possible abuse. And let's be clear on this point: at the time of posting, he hadn't been charged with anything, just arrested on suspicion. Innocent until proven guilty, BLT, innocent until proven guilty....

Well i dont think sid Killed Nancy He was set up!,lol and not only did elvis call ray charles the n Word he said he was "a blind (insert n word)", but ray charles quickly forgave him. as for pete i dunno it looks bad i mean research? it really doesn't make Sense

Originally posted by frank smarra > Originally posted by Taboo # 7> Well, I don't think it'll change my appreciation for the Who's artistry if Pete does turn out to be an "Uncle Ernie" himself (though that's highly unlikely). after all, Keith Moon beat his wife and neglected his kid, Sid Vicious stabbed Nancy Spungen, Elvis Costello called Ray Charles the "N" word, and Lou Reed did all sorts of things throughout the Seventies, but I still listen to their music. You can seperate the artist from the art, so let me make that clear.> > Given Pete's involvement in the past with anit-child abuse causes, it seems farfetched to assume that he's some closet pedophile hiding behind such a banner. Like I said in my previous post, "Tommy" is all about child abuse and the toll it takes. In the best possible circumstances, Pete really was just "finding out what the enemy is" and trying to unlock some lost memory of his own possible abuse. > > And let's be clear on this point: at the time of posting, he hadn't been charged with anything, just arrested on suspicion. Innocent until proven guilty, BLT, innocent until proven guilty....

Well i dont think sid Killed Nancy He was set up!,lol and not only did elvis call ray charles the n Word he said he was "a blind (insert n word)", but ray charles quickly forgave him. as for pete i dunno it looks bad i mean research? it really doesn't make Sense

I was just trying to make the point that you can apreciate an artist's work (or anyone's work, for that matter) without necessarily liking them for the way they conduct their personnal lives.

Again, I hope this is just Pete being stupid, not Pete getting off on this stuff. But I'm not gonna go and burn my Who records if he was doing more than "research"

taboo i was only commenting on what you said not trying to get people to burn who records, you calm down now or im going to edit your neworderstoryto the 5 min version!,lol :headoff:

Originally posted by frank smarra taboo i was only commenting on what you said not trying to get people to burn who records, you calm down now or im going to edit your neworderstoryto the 5 min version!,lol:headoff:

No no no! please don't!

sorry, it's a bit disconcerting when someone you look up to gets caught for something like this (kinda like when Joe E. Tata was arrested in the company of three hookers....)

That reminds me: I wasn't able to get the tapes this weekend for the Effenaar/paradiso gigs, so i just now got them and plan to tape them tonight (shouldn't take too long). Anyways, if you wanna e-mail me your addy I can send them your way by at least Thursday.

Just want to bring up something that I think is important in the context of this story: Along with Pete (admittedly the biggest name seized in the Operation Ore sting), about 50 British police officers and social workers were arrested for the same charges (downloading, distibuting child porn). Is it just me or is that slightly more disturbing? Not to excuse Pete's actions (which, even if they were for research purposes, were pretty damn stupid), but when social workers (people who come into contact almost daily with children) are downloading this stuff, that's just wrong.

I don't believe Pete is a sexual predator, but the no-names who were nabbed as well may very well have acted upon their disgusting desires with far more ease than your average well-known rock god. Obviously because Pete is held up to a high degree of celebrity, he will emerge as the target of media scorn (as anyone who's watched Fox news the past few days can attest), but there is a serious lack of attention being paid to the shameful conduct of people with more potential contact with children. What I'm pissed about, primarily, is the fact that if and when Pete is cleared of any wrong doing (and he could very well be charged with something awful. I don't want to predict he's totally innocent or anything until the facts are in), none of the media outlets trumping the story will feel the need to make more than a cursory apology and move on from there. What's more, the porn fiends nabbed in connection to the same case will recieve nowhere as near the same amount of attention if Pete is removed from the list of "wrong-doers". What the Fox News anchor said on Monday when Pete's arrest broke news (comparing his claim of "research" to that of David Westerfield, the notorious murderer of Danielle Van Dam, who tried to use that as a defense) is tantamount to character assasination, and I belive this "Shepard Smith" (i believe that's his name) should be held accountable in court for possible slander if Pete turns out to be in the clear. But we all know that won't happen. No one will say anything to this disgusting, self-satisfied "newsman" about his off-the-cuff degredation of Pete's character. that just pisses me off to no degree.

At any rate, my concern is more about those nabbed with Pete who, at least by their job descriptions, are in a far better position of have access to children than he. I don't doubt they'll get justice for their crimes, but you can be damn sure it won't make the 6 o'clock news with quite the same intensity as Pete Townshend's arrest.

Originally posted by Taboo # 7 Just want to bring up something that I think is important in the context of this story: Along with Pete (admittedly the biggest name seized in the Operation Ore sting), about 50 British police officers and social workers were arrested for the same charges (downloading, distibuting child porn). Is it just me or is that slightly more disturbing? Not to excuse Pete's actions (which, even if they were for research purposes, were pretty damn stupid), but when social workers (people who come into contact almost daily with children) are downloading this stuff, that's just wrong. I don't believe Pete is a sexual predator, but the no-names who were nabbed as well may very well have acted upon their disgusting desires with far more ease than your average well-known rock god. Obviously because Pete is held up to a high degree of celebrity, he will emerge as the target of media scorn (as anyone who's watched Fox news the past few days can attest), but there is a serious lack of attention being paid to the shameful conduct of people with more potential contact with children. What I'm pissed about, primarily, is the fact that if and when Pete is cleared of any wrong doing (and he could very well be charged with something awful. I don't want to predict he's totally innocent or anything until the facts are in), none of the media outlets trumping the story will feel the need to make more than a cursory apology and move on from there. What's more, the porn fiends nabbed in connection to the same case will recieve nowhere as near the same amount of attention if Pete is removed from the list of "wrong-doers". What the Fox News anchor said on Monday when Pete's arrest broke news (comparing his claim of "research" to that of David Westerfield, the notorious murderer of Danielle Van Dam, who tried to use that as a defense) is tantamount to character assasination, and I belive this "Shepard Smith" (i believe that's his name) should be held accountable in court for possible slander if Pete turns out to be in the clear. But we all know that won't happen. No one will say anything to this disgusting, self-satisfied "newsman" about his off-the-cuff degredation of Pete's character. that just pisses me off to no degree.At any rate, my concern is more about those nabbed with Pete who, at least by their job descriptions, are in a far better position of have access to children than he. I don't doubt they'll get justice for their crimes, but you can be damn sure it won't make the 6 o'clock news with quite the same intensity as Pete Townshend's arrest.

Tabsy, the most disturbing thing about what you just wrote was that you watch Fox News...in fact it shouldn't be called News when it's on Fox...more like Fox Fiction or Fox Fantasy....do you really watch Fox News?

[Content deleted by frank smarra on 1/15/2003 4:36:08 PM EDT]

Tabsy, the most disturbing thing about what you just wrote was that you watch Fox News...in fact it shouldn't be called News when it's on Fox...more like Fox Fiction or Fox Fantasy....do you really watch Fox News?

i totally agree, following the pete townshend story was an exclusive update that J-LO's Arse got Bigger! watch bbc world new and you'll learn a lot more about america and how misinformed we are

I believe the tag line for fox news is "for fair and balanced news,we report,you decide".Having watched this channel that is comical to say the least.Geraldo Rivera and Oliver North as serious contributors to a news channel!As for Shepard Smith he was arrested for a punch up with another "journalist" in Florida during the last presidential election,need I say more?

As horribly wrong as they often are, I like Fox News. it really helps to wake me up by pissing me off about how wrong they can be in reporting a story.

I don't want to turn this into an anti-Fox News thread, but I will say this: "Fair and Balanced" refers to Geraldo's toupee :D

Back to the issue at hand: Jay Leno made a funny joke about all this with a Dr. Suess book written by Pete, "Horton Humps a Who" As serious as this may be, it's nice to be able to laugh about it (I have a wicked sense of humor, after all)

"Who" ? nyuck nyuck bwahahahaaa pervert

This is a classic case of press release from the mouth of a lawyer - pretty fast thinking. Sick bastard!

the local 'alternative' paper, the 'orlando weekly', did a joke advert for a new pete townshend album, with songs like: 'see me, feel me, touch me, subpoena me' and 'let my love open the door (to your fort)' and the 'first 50,000 copies containing a free poster of haley joel osment doing a bench press'. it was pretty funny, actually.

Yeah, that is pretty funny. What's the latest on Petey's troubles, btw? The press sure died off this story quickly.

it was in people magazine this week. according to people, which is a bible of popular culture in my estimation, mr. townshend paid once to visit a kiddle porn site to see what was on it b/c he was horrified to find out that it was available on his son's computer, and he wanted to warn others what was out there. as a result, his credit card info was put on the feds' database and, voila!, he was nabbed. he's either lying or very, very naive. time will tell.... anyhow, daltrey and the lot are rallying behind him. even bono's jumped on the 'free pete' bandwagon.

Originally posted by AgentWood the local 'alternative' paper, the 'orlando weekly', did a joke advert for a new pete townshend album, with songs like: 'see me, feel me, touch me, subpoena me' and 'let my love open the door (to your fort)' and the 'first 50,000 copies containing a free poster of haley joel osment doing a bench press'. it was pretty funny, actually.

...'let my love open the door (to your fort)' that *is* really funny.