Storm over child porn
Charities condemn lawyer's claim that internet access of child pornography is "victimless" crime
A lawyer caused a storm yesterday by claiming that child porn was a victimless crime.
James Swinburne was defending his client Richard Trehearn who was caught with pictures of young children on his computer during Operation Ore, the largest paedophile investigation to be mounted in Britain.
Mr Swinburne argued in front of Sheriff Cathcart at Glasgow Sheriff Court that Mr Trehearn's crime was "victimless" as it did not impact on anyone else.
But this was quickly condemned by children's charity Children 1st, which said that anyone who downloads pornography is contributing to child abuse.
The Scottish criminal appeal court has previously sought to dispel the notion that accessing child pornography over the internet is "victimless" crime.
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