http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/2648987.stm Townsend, 57, who is married with children said: "I am not a paedophile. I think paedophilia is appalling. "To fight against paedophilia, you have to know what's out there," he said.
PeeWee Herman & Rooney from "Ferris Buehler's Day Off" getting arrested for kiddie porn wasn't really a shock. I think PeeWee said that he collects "kitsch art." I thought that was collecting comical clocks or knick-knacks, not naked children. I guess Pete's got a problem on his hands. 1st Entwistle bites the bullet and now Pete bites his pillow. The bad news just keeps coming......
I really, really, really want to accept Pete at his word on this. But even if he's telling the truth, and even if he avoids any legal problems, is anyone ever going to believe him? What a mess.
I don't care if he molests children. His musical time was up anyway. It doesn't effect the finished product. The Who still have a lot of great tunes. I'll still be able to listen to Pictures of Lily without wincing. And it only makes for a better Behind the Music if he gets a kiddie raper rap. But seriously, as nasty as it is, he bought pictures.. not a date with a 9 year old. I'm sure he could afford a trip to thailand if he wanted.
Re: Re: Why does Pete Townshend have kiddie porn? He is bisexual. I don't buy his explaination at all.
Not that I've ever been a big fan, but I find it pretty hard to make the distinction between the performer and the art, in the manner you're doing. Finding out bad stuff about performers I like has usually led to my no longer enjoying their work. And buying child pornography is not a victimless crime. This also is a market driven phenomenon. At the other end of the process from the purchaser, there are children being posed in those pictures under circumstances that range from questionable to unspeakably horrible.
Re: Re: Re: Why does Pete Townshend have kiddie porn? Of course you can. I meant that I thought he was never married. I vaguely remember him coming out of the closet a few years back.
I understand your position completely. But if I were to give up on a band because of their beliefs or something they said or did I'd have to throw out half my music collection. Child Pornography obviously isn't a victimless crime. I'm no fan of Nambla degenerates or anyone who'd make a buck off of child exploitation. But I'm not in a positon to prosecute. It's really none of my business. It's between Pete, his family, the authorities, and whatever cretins post that stuff up in the first place. I don't believe Townsend when he says he bought the pictures to fight child pornography, but until better proof comes along, I also don't think he's a paedophile. I think he falls into that grey area of morbid and/or libertine curiosity. I can think that way because I've personally known several people who go out of their way to collect the most disturbing and obnoxious images, movies, or music they can get their hands on. Anything from animal porn to real death pictures/movies (like "traces" and "faces of death", not actual snuff films, which even these sickos draw the line at). They're not molesters or murderers, they do it because they have a gross sense of humor/curiosity, and they do it because they can. The only person I know who's found an actual child pornography site (8 year olds not 17 year olds) was so disturbed by what he saw, he reported the site to the authorities. But that wasn't his original intention. He was bored and seeing what kind of screwed up stuff he could find if he dug deep enough. If he got arrested tommorrow for something else altogether, he'd still have those images in his computer and could be accused of owning child pornography. Obviously, Townsend doesn't really have this excuse. He got caught red handed. If he was really trying to fight child porn he could have reported (or at least claim to have reported) the site. But there are cases that aren't so cut and dry. Anyone from the Baltimore/Washington area might remember Johnny Riggs from 99.1 WHFS. He was busted for having child porn on his computer. He lost his job and now has a pretty raging heroin habit (I know a few ex-junkies who used to buy it at the same place and hang out occasionally). The thing is, his original arrest started as a pot bust. The computer thing came only as an after thought by the authorities to humiliate a local pseudo celebrity jackass. They had no idea what they'd find in there. Yes, they found some child porn. They'd find it in my friend's computer too. They also found a ton of pictures of 16 and 17 year old girls from a dutch website...the law doesn't differentiate all that much. Perhaps he had it coming, anyway...but I still don't think Riggs is a paedophile. When people hear "child pornography", all bets are off.
Pete's legal case is none of my business. Why would it be? Except to make high and mighty moral judgements against people I don't know anyways...
Good for you. Is Slipknotter the second openly gay person on BigSoccer? BigSoccer is breaking down walls.
Pete has been arested on these child porn allegations now. It was a pretty lame excuse he originally came out with and apperently one that is commonly used. I suspect, like someone else mentioned, he has a morbid curiosity in the subject. I suppose thats the best Who fans can hope for now.
Story on Ananova Here's what this could mean: -- Townshend obviously could go to jail. -- If convicted, he will likely never be allowed back in the US because he will be a registered sex offender. Hence, no more US Who tours. The frightening thing about this issue in general is that people are so scared for their children that even if acquitted Pete will never be the same. Cities will refuse to grant permits for his concerts, and people will protest outside of their theaters and arenas. He's done for.
Hmmm, interesting comparison. Three big differences from what I can tell. First, as far as I know, Jackson was never arrested for anything. He settled a civil case but never faced criminal charges for lack of a willing witness (that's what a really, really big checkbook can buy you). Second, there was a point for several years where Jackson didn't play any US shows for fear of protests and/or arrest. Third, the world has changed technologically in the past ten years to a point where kiddie porn is seen as a major scourge. I think for a reasonable comparator for Pete, look at Gary Glitter's life for the past few years.
I have no clue who Gary Glitter is, but with a name like that aren't you pre-destined to be a child pornographer?
Yes, you know who Gary Glitter is, even if you don't think you do. "Rock and Roll Part II" (aka the "Hey" song) is a jock rock classic, played at every single professional and college sporting event, it seems. Meanwhile, here's what Gary's been up to lately: http://www.nme.com/news/101966.htm http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-12187585,00.html