ARCHIVE: Pete Towshend Cleared On Child Porn Charge in 2003

Police won’t be charging Pete Townshend for accessing a website that contained child pornography, although The Who guitarist has received a formal caution.

Townshend’s computer was returned to him after police revealed that Scotland Yard had found no downloaded images. However, his name will remain on a sex offenders’ register for five years, and that could hinder him entering America for future tours.

Townshend, who says he gave his credit card details to the site for research purposes, co-operated with the four-month investigation, commenting: “I accept that I was wrong to access this site, and that by doing so I broke the law. I accept the caution.”

Meanwhile, Who singer Roger Daltrey is to do a one-off performance in the musical My Fair Lady in Los Angeles on August 3, playing the part of as Eliza Doolittle’s father. “It’s my other job, and I enjoy it,” Roger explains. “I’m a jobbing character actor, and I take most of what comes through the letterbox. I work all the time, and I’m very happy about my career in that department.”

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.