Pete Townshend book describes 'insane' attempt to expose internet child abuse
The Who' guitarist uses autobiography to explain why he used credit card to access illegal material
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/sep/28/pete-townshend-internet-child-abuse-images
The Who's Pete Townshend has explained his "insane" attempt to expose the spread of child abuse images on the internet, which resulted in his high-profile arrest.
The songwriter and guitarist was eventually cleared of possessing illegal images of children in 2003, but not until after the scandal caused lasting damage to his image.
At the time, he claimed to be looking at a website while conducting research for a campaign against images of child sex abuse on the internet. He was cautioned and placed on the sex offenders register for five years after admitting breaking the law.
In an interview to publicise his autobiography, Who I Am, Townshend said his actions were a misguided attempt at "white knight syndrome" – his desire to be seen as a hero.
"It's a product of success. I had experienced something creepy as a child, so you imagine, what if I was a girl of nine or 10 and my uncle had raped me every week? I felt I had an understanding, and I could help. What I did was insane," he told the Times newspaper, which is serialising the book.
He said he intended to reveal the financial trail of child abuse from Russian orphanages to British banks by paying a £7 fee to access a child pornography site with his credit card, which he cancelled immediately, but he fell foul of officers investigating the sites as part of the FBI-led Operation Ore crackdown.
As part of the cautioning procedure, Townshend's fingerprints, photograph and a DNA sample were taken by police and he was placed on a national register of sex offenders for five years.
He said he felt attempts to try to clear his name following the scandal would prove futile. "I've had the misfortune to read online comments where I'm judged as a paedophile because I've got a big nose," he said.
Following a four-month investigation, the Metropolitan police said Townshend "was not in possession of any downloaded child abuse images," but had accessed a site containing such images in 1999.
Operation Ore led to almost 4,000 arrests, including those of judges, teachers, doctors, care workers, soldiers and more than 50 police officers.
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GQ&A: Pete Townshend
By Andy Morris | 27 September 12
Ahead of the release of his tell-all autobiography, GQ revisits a 2007 interview with The Who's Pete Townshend
PA Photos
What was your worst drugs experience?
Waking up in hospital after I'd injected cocaine in Club For Heroes. I think it was the first and last time I ever injected anything. The really sad part is that it didn't make the newspapers.
Could you match Amy Winehouse drink for drink?
I'm sure I could probably wipe the floor with her. A friend of mine who used to be my driver said I used to buy 12 bottles of brandy every few days. I drank it steadily throughout the day, like tea. God knows how I'm still standing.
When did you give up drinking?
I stopped at the beginning of 1982. I had a brief pick up in 1993 when I thought I might be cured. I was in a bar in New York and I had a Rolling Rock. I thought I'd seen God. And when you drink a Rolling Rock and think you've seen God, there's a problem with your mind.
What would you give Pete Doherty and Kate Moss as a wedding present?
I think some nice scented candles would be appropriate.
Who would you rather be adopted by: Madonna or Angelina?
It would have to be Madonna. Angelina is extraordinary: she's a baby addict! And I wouldn't want Brad Pitt lurking
around - he'd want to inculcate me into the Fight Club.
Have you ever had sex to one of your own records?
I haven't but I've turned some of my sex into my own records, most famously "You Better You Bet".
Who is the most famous person you've had in your house?
William Golding came to dinner with Michael Foot. They were spectacular. But I've also had lummoxes like Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger...
Are hybrid cars too girly for rock stars?
Oh God yes. Jerry Hall bought one of those electric cars and it looks like an invalid carriage. Her son Gabriel, who is about eight, took me aside and said, "I'm not going in it!" And in the background Jerry's going, "Gabriel. honey, it has no emissions..."
Would you let Snoop Dogg into your country?
Absolutely. He's brilliant. And a tourist industry because he never comes to England without at least 40 or 50 minders, all of whom need hotel rooms.
What is the stupidest thing you've ever bought?
It's got to be the boat. I bought a Dutch barge and turned it into a recording studio. My plan was to go to Paris and record rolling down the Seine.
Do you think it's time for Robbie Williams to admit defeat and rejoin Take That?
No. I'm happy for Take That but I'm more interested in Robbie. He's on and off because of the drugs and alcohol thing, but he's an absolute phenomenon.
What's the worst thing a critic has ever written about you?
That would be when a beautiful female journalist described me as looking like an "unfrocked priest". That really hurt.
If Tony Blair reformed Ugly Rumours for one night, would you go to the gig?
I've made that mistake. My advice was, "You're in now, get on with it. And don't invite pop stars to Number Ten. They'll turn against you when it gets a little bit tricky." Two hours later I got this fucking invitation to go to Downing Street with Damon Albarn, Noel Gallagher...
What's the biggest media misconception about you?
That I'm strong enough to be pulled apart in the tabloids as a paedophile. I was stunned that the newspapers felt I was tough enough to withstand that without getting shaky. I knew I certainly wasn't a paedophile, but it was a shock.
Which band would you like to reform?
I think the Band. Even with two of them now gone, I'd love to see what Robbie Robertson and Garth Hudson could do.
How much does Heather Mills deserve from the divorce?
I'm in the middle of a divorce and I can't comment because we've got the same lawyer! I know Paul and Heather. It's sad when people break up. It's not about the money, I don't think.
Do you consider yourself a role model?
Well, up until I got arrested, maybe yes. It just happens, it's not something that you really want.
Who would play you in "Pete Townshend: The Musical"?
I'd really rather like Bill Nighy. But I don't think I'm that cute. If I can't have Bill, Roger [Daltrey] wouldn't be bad. He knows me well!
Originally published in the August 2007 issue of British GQ.
Andy Morris
Andy Morris is Editor of GQ.com and a Contributing Editor for GQ. He has written for Dazed & Confused, Mojo, the British Journal of Photography and Wax Poetics. His career highlightLeave a comment:
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That will be interesting. We need more of these older guys to do this !Leave a comment:
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Pete Townsend Autobiography Due Out Oct. 8
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