p.1 #1 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
A "NAIVE" photographer employed by parents to take pictures of their young daughters to turn into images of fairies has been prosecuted because the photos fell under the definition of child porn.
Under the legislation, the images of the two girls – aged 10 and 12 – were classed as level one child pornography, despite the fact their parents had asked for the pictures to be taken and were even present at photo shoots.
...
Passing sentence, Judge Lawler QC added: "You always acted perfectly properly and their parents were perfectly law-abiding, sensible people who cared for their children." - and sentenced the 38-year-old, to a 150-hour community service order.
p.1 #3 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
Since I obviously have not seen the pictures I could be way off, but this sounds like another bizarre decision based on intolerance of different legitimate viewpoints.
It is certainly true that not all parents have stellar judgment. In addition, when in doubt people should favor the child. However, based on the linked story, it seems clear to me that the photographer was the victim of mindless intolerance. Apparently, as in the US, the UK has some law enforcement organizations who will readily sacrifice a persons reputation in order to avoid the possibility of criticism.
Perhaps the strangest sentence is the last one quoted above. How the phrase "acting perfectly properly" and being sentenced to 150 h go together is somewhat of a puzzle. The judges statemet has a lot to do with my interpretation that there was nothing wrong.
Edited on Aug 07, 2008 at 12:12 AM
Aug 07, 2008 at 12:02 AM
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p.1 #4 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
Unfortunately many people equate nudity with porn. Nudity does NOT equal porn. Ironically, there are many pictures out there of people with clothes ON that are porn. Based on the judge's reaction and sentence as well as the fact that the photographer DOES NOT have to register as a sex offender, I have to agree with Mike (mhayes5254). This is one of the problems of having too many laws; unintended consequences when the letter, not the spirit of the law is followed.
p.1 #5 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
If the child is a minor, no matter how muh the parents compel, why would anybody (in this day and age of political correctness and mindless judgement) agree to shoot semi-naked photos of young kids - for whatever artistic reasons? Myley Cyrus's antics should've got that photographer in trouble as well - but she thrives on scandals. I don't agree with the punishment to the photographer alone though - the parents should've got some hours too - since they're the ones who coaxed the photographer to do this.
p.1 #6 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
What a complete joke. A similar situation occurred in Australia recently. Fortunately we are mature enough to tell the difference between child pornography and art, and no charges were laid.
p.1 #7 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
What about parents who shoot their 4 - 5 y/o children in the bathtub and then post them on photo sharing sites? Should they be prosecuted too? Or are these restricted to when there were money being made?
p.1 #8 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
The only crime the photographer in the story you have posted is guilty of is using Bonus Print - possibly the worst lab in the UK!
Seriously, the same thing happened to my brother-in-law a few years ago when a high street photo lab reported his pictures of his daughter - he's a war artist and the photos were to be used as a reference for a painting (he's got digital now so it won't happen again).
I'm sorry to say political correctness has infected many parts of UK commercial and political life and there is always a Town Hall tosser or some other busy body telling you off for something or threatening to have you arrested for something else. Two weeks ago I had a major confrontation with two 'community police officers' who made it their job to make my life hell. I was filming a time-lapse sequence in the street and they decided I was a terrorist threat. Knowing I hadn't transgressed the law, I stood my ground, they didn't like that and blew-up with rage. Luckily for me, there was an off-duty police sergeant who saw the whole incident unfold, he informed me that the 'community police officers' had broken several laws in what was an illegal stop and search, he suggested I make a formal complaint in the police station and told me he and his collegues were fed up with these 'plastic police officers' getting in the way of 'real' police work. I didn't make the complaint - I had work to do! The irony of the whole thing was I was making a film for the town council, the very people who pay the 'community police officers' wages, and they were not very happy to hear I had been harassed by their own officers.
p.1 #9 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
Liam, I know what you mean. Apparently some of those 'community police officers' (no matter how miniscule their power is) gets really aggressive when you tell them that you're not breaking any law. They have this Judge Dredd complex where they assume that they are the law and as such, if it bothers them, it's thus illegal. Lucky that the sergeant was there for you.
By the way, did you manage to finish that time lapse sequence? I'd love to see it.
p.1 #10 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
Most civilized country's have laws saying you can take nude pictures of children for artistic purpose but you can not show close up shots of private areas or in any sexual positions or situations as long as the parents agree to it.
p.1 #12 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
purely my personal opinion is that if a girl or boy is under legal age then the photographer should not take any photos where the child is in a form of undressed the only exception is new borns. The reason for this hypocritical point is that it has be considered ok to nude new born shots done. In America at least.
p.1 #13 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
When the school budget gets tight, the first thing they cut is the "unnecessary" art programs (but of course the sports are vital...), so we have a whole generation of people out there who wouldn't know art if you bussed them to a museum and pointed at it. Much less recognize art-making in progress.
p.1 #16 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
pilles wrote:
The question that hasnn't been answered is who called the law and showed the pictures?
From the article...
"Dr Marcus Jonathan Angus Phillips, a keen photographer and administrator at Sheffield University, was hauled before the courts after "concerned" staff at a branch of Bonusprint reported his pictures to the NSPCC."
p.1 #17 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
I agree that the judgement is crazy and even while the judge was saying that the photog acted perfectly legally, he was still doling out punishment - makes absolutely no sense at all. But, knowing that such crazies are around everywhere, in this age of ridiculous political correctness and psuedo-moral-superiority everywhere, who would agree to something like that shoot? Its just common sense! Oh well .. the judgement still doesn't make an iota of sense, though!
"You're perfectly correct, you did not break any laws. Oh, by the way, here's your punishment."
p.1 #19 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
Wow, this is quite incredible.. quite amazing that the judge did not dismiss the case on the grounds of common sense... but this is not the first time this has happened in the UK.. a good while back "Boots" reported the husband of a well known BBC news reader to the police, who were waiting for him when he came to collect a roll of film with pictures of his kids in the bath... made the front pages of course... Reading stuff like this makes me glad I moved to a more tolerant country... how very sad.
p.1 #20 · A Cautionary Tale - Photographer prosecuted for fairy 'child porn'
Nathan67 wrote:
Reading stuff like this makes me glad I moved to a more tolerant country... how very sad.
It has nothing to do with tolerance, it's to do with stupidity. Luckily, we've been exporting most of our really stupid people to other countries, mainly France, Australia and Canada. So, watch out Norway, stupid Brits are coming your way sometime soon
