This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/england/kent/6913530.stm
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 5 | Version 6 |
---|---|
Co-star 'did not know about porn' | Co-star 'did not know about porn' |
(about 5 hours later) | |
Comedian Paul Whitehouse has told a court he had no knowledge of co-star Chris Langham using child pornography as research for a TV series. | Comedian Paul Whitehouse has told a court he had no knowledge of co-star Chris Langham using child pornography as research for a TV series. |
The Fast Show star co-wrote and starred in the BBC comedy drama Help, in which he played different patients seen by a psychiatrist played by Mr Langham. | The Fast Show star co-wrote and starred in the BBC comedy drama Help, in which he played different patients seen by a psychiatrist played by Mr Langham. |
Mr Langham, 58, from Kent, denies indecent assault and a serious sexual offence on a girl under 18. | Mr Langham, 58, from Kent, denies indecent assault and a serious sexual offence on a girl under 18. |
He also denies 15 counts of making an indecent image of a child in 2005. | He also denies 15 counts of making an indecent image of a child in 2005. |
Mr Langham's defence counsel has claimed he downloaded child pornography images for research while writing Help. | Mr Langham's defence counsel has claimed he downloaded child pornography images for research while writing Help. |
Prosecutor Richard Barraclough QC asked Mr Whitehouse at Maidstone Crown Court: "Did Mr Langham ever discuss with you that he was undertaking any research for the shows?" | Prosecutor Richard Barraclough QC asked Mr Whitehouse at Maidstone Crown Court: "Did Mr Langham ever discuss with you that he was undertaking any research for the shows?" |
"Not to my knowledge, no," Mr Whitehouse replied. | "Not to my knowledge, no," Mr Whitehouse replied. |
'Peeping tom' | |
Mr Barraclough asked if there had been any discussion in the series of explicit sex with little girls. | Mr Barraclough asked if there had been any discussion in the series of explicit sex with little girls. |
"Absolutely not," Mr Whitehouse replied. | "Absolutely not," Mr Whitehouse replied. |
"Can you help the jury, did Mr Langham tell you that he had been researching things like that?" | "Can you help the jury, did Mr Langham tell you that he had been researching things like that?" |
"No," Mr Whitehouse replied. | "No," Mr Whitehouse replied. |
He said he came up with the idea of a character called Pedro, for the second series of Help, as "some kind of sex offender, like a peeping Tom or a flasher or possibly even something worse". | He said he came up with the idea of a character called Pedro, for the second series of Help, as "some kind of sex offender, like a peeping Tom or a flasher or possibly even something worse". |
Mr Barraclough said: "So the suggestion for the character came from you?" | Mr Barraclough said: "So the suggestion for the character came from you?" |
Chris Langham denies the charges against him | Chris Langham denies the charges against him |
"Yes," Mr Whitehouse replied. | |
"Was there anything Mr Langham wanted the character to do?" Mr Barraclough asked. | "Was there anything Mr Langham wanted the character to do?" Mr Barraclough asked. |
"I can remember a couple of incidents where it was implied he had rubbed up against someone on a train," Mr Whitehouse replied. | "I can remember a couple of incidents where it was implied he had rubbed up against someone on a train," Mr Whitehouse replied. |
Mr Barraclough asked him: "Did you discuss any additional sketches where this character revealed himself to have been abused as a child or confessing to sexually assaulting a child that he's been grooming?" | Mr Barraclough asked him: "Did you discuss any additional sketches where this character revealed himself to have been abused as a child or confessing to sexually assaulting a child that he's been grooming?" |
"No," Mr Whitehouse replied. | "No," Mr Whitehouse replied. |
The actor spent 30 minutes giving evidence. | The actor spent 30 minutes giving evidence. |
Following his appearance in court, a statement given by Mr Langham to the police was read to the jury by the prosecution. | |
'Distressing and upsetting' | |
In it he admitted downloading child porn images and video clips on to his computer. | |
Mr Langham stated that as a writer he was driven to "dig a little deeper into the darker and more fundamental places". | |
But he said he found the material "distressing and upsetting", and had never been able to watch the clips all the way through. | |
"They made me very angry. They've also made me very sad but as a writer it also made me want to write," Mr Langham said in the statement. | |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |