Pete Townsend Arrested!

[Gammit]

Originally posted by johnny: Yeah, i read the article, but i also heard on the radio that this isn't the first time, so that means that Townsend might be lying. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

or a really good fog machine... with dark fog.

[Grojlach]

Originally posted by johnny: Yeah, i read the article, but i also heard on the radio that this isn't the first time, so that means that Townsend might be lying. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

Not the first time? Got a source to back that up? More than just "I heard it on the radio", I mean...

[Lanesra]

Originally posted by johnny: Yeah, i read the article, but i also heard on the radio that this isn't the first time, so that means that Townsend might be lying. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

He's admited visiting one site,which in my opinion is still wrong,but so far thats it,I'd like to know where this radio station got its info. What I find more disturbing is that 50 police officers have been arrested as part of this ongoing investigation,also It has been reported that more arrests will follow, including those of high court judges, and at least two MP's

[Melusine]

Originally posted by Lanesra: quote: Originally posted by johnny: Yeah, i read the article, but i also heard on the radio that this isn't the first time, so that means that Townsend might be lying. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

He's admited visiting one site,which in my opinion is still wrong,but so far thats it,I'd like to know where this radio station got its info. What I find more disturbing is that 50 police officers have been arrested as part of this ongoing investigation,also It has been reported that more arrests will follow, including those of high court judges, and at least two MP's[/QUOTE]Exactly Lanesra, good points all. I was extremely shocked when I saw the number of people that were involved, and the percentage of them that are (supposedly) working for the law. But of course since Townshend is famous, that's more important right?

I don't discount the possibility at all that he was simply researching. He believes to have been abused as a kid himself, well who knows. That doesn't change the fact that *paying* for the site (which in effect means you support the child porn business) was extremely misguided and stupid. But it doesn't prove him to be a paedophile.

[ 01-14-2003, 10:06 AM: Message edited by: Melusine ]

Originally posted by Gammit: Yikes. Bummer if he ends up guilty. He can join the likes of Paul Reubens and that guy who played the principal in "Ferris Bueler." P.S. Hah! LOL. Right as I click "send reply" for this, that "Oooooh Yeah" song from Ferris Bueler comes over IW radio!

Errr excuse me but Paul Reuben was caught being lewd in an Adult theatre watching an X-Rated movie, not of being into Kiddie porn. He also played a hilarious vampire role in Buffy.

Kiddie porn is waaay different than regular porn.

[johnny]

Originally posted by Grojlach: quote: Originally posted by johnny: Yeah, i read the article, but i also heard on the radio that this isn't the first time, so that means that Townsend might be lying. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire.

Not the first time? Got a source to back that up? More than just "I heard it on the radio", I mean...[/QUOTE]Like i said, i heard it on the radio, when we were driving back home from work. So i can't give you a link to the story, i would if i could. I'm not trying to judge him either, i was just saying that the police usually know a little more than they say to the press, before making an arrest. Especially when it's a well known person, like in this case.

[Horatio]

Wow, I'm pretty surprised no Brits posted this earlier. It's been all over the tabloids here

[Melusine]

Originally posted by johnny: Like i said, i heard it on the radio, when we were driving back home from work. So i can't give you a link to the story, i would if i could. I'm not trying to judge him either, i was just saying that the police usually know a little more than they say to the press, before making an arrest. Especially when it's a well known person, like in this case.

Fair enough. [img]smile.gif[/img]

Incidentally, I don't think he's been charged with anything so far and he's out on bail: sometimes they just detain people to be able to question them better. I guess we'll see.....

BTW Lanesra, here's the appropriate quote from CNN:

British police have arrested 1,300 people, including a judge, magistrates, dentists, hospital consultants and a deputy school headmaster, as part of Operation Ore, a crackdown on people who view child pornography on the Internet. Fifty police officers also have been arrested, and eight of them have been charged with offenses.
(link in Attalus's post)

That is just shocking.

[johnny]

I can understand however, how he must feel. If he's truly innocent, he will still have a very bad feeling about this. Lots of people will hold it against him regardless. He may even get threats now. No matter how this turns out, in a way the guy has been labeled now, cause that's just how (a lot) of people are.

[Melusine]

Originally posted by johnny: I can understand however, how he must feel. If he's truly innocent, he will still have a very bad feeling about this. Lots of people will hold it against him regardless. He may even get threats now. No matter how this turns out, in a way the guy has been labeled now, cause that's just how (a lot) of people are.

That is too true.
Even if there is found no evidence, many people will reason that - if I may quote you - where there is smoke there has got to be fire.
I remember seeing cases on TV where people (often teachers) were falsely accused, out of pure spite, of having an unhealthy interest in children. It is one of the worst ways to try and harm someone because the stigma will NEVER be removed, and anything such a person does will be explained in the worst possible way. The McMartin case in America is probably one of the most (in)famous examples.
But then again, given the extreme gruesomeness of the crime, if there is only so much as a tiny suspicion someone is guilty of it, we as a society cannot but act on that suspicion: protection of children is always the priority. It's a difficult situation.