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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Actor did not want paedophile tag | Actor did not want paedophile tag |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Actor Chris Langham pleaded not guilty to the child pornography charges he is accused of because he did not want to be called a paedophile, a court heard. | Actor Chris Langham pleaded not guilty to the child pornography charges he is accused of because he did not want to be called a paedophile, a court heard. |
| The 58-year-old admitted looking at the images but said he did so to resolve a long-standing psychological problem, Maidstone Crown Court heard. | The 58-year-old admitted looking at the images but said he did so to resolve a long-standing psychological problem, Maidstone Crown Court heard. |
| Mr Langham, of Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, denies 15 counts of making an indecent image of a child in 2005. | Mr Langham, of Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, denies 15 counts of making an indecent image of a child in 2005. |
| He also denies six indecent assault charges and two of serious sex assault. | He also denies six indecent assault charges and two of serious sex assault. |
| Prosecutor Richard Barraclough said: "You pleaded not guilty because you were labelled a paedophile?" | Prosecutor Richard Barraclough said: "You pleaded not guilty because you were labelled a paedophile?" |
| I was aware of the fact it was illegal and did it anyway Chris Langham | I was aware of the fact it was illegal and did it anyway Chris Langham |
| "Yes, that's correct," Mr Langham replied. | "Yes, that's correct," Mr Langham replied. |
| "But you are guilty of the images counts?" Mr Barraclough asked. | "But you are guilty of the images counts?" Mr Barraclough asked. |
| The actor replied: "Yes, that's correct." | The actor replied: "Yes, that's correct." |
| "So your plea of not guilty is simply some sort of statement that you are not a paedophile?" Mr Barraclough inquired. | "So your plea of not guilty is simply some sort of statement that you are not a paedophile?" Mr Barraclough inquired. |
| Mr Langham said: "Yes, that's absolutely correct." | Mr Langham said: "Yes, that's absolutely correct." |
| The actor was accused of indulging in "pseudo psychobabble" to explain his actions. | The actor was accused of indulging in "pseudo psychobabble" to explain his actions. |
| 'Work in progress' | 'Work in progress' |
| Mr Langham said: "I was trying to break down something inside me that I could use for my own development." | Mr Langham said: "I was trying to break down something inside me that I could use for my own development." |
| He admitted he never told his wife he viewed indecent images of children, and said: "I suppose it's very personal to me and something I didn't feel comfortable about, but I was also aware of the fact it was illegal. | He admitted he never told his wife he viewed indecent images of children, and said: "I suppose it's very personal to me and something I didn't feel comfortable about, but I was also aware of the fact it was illegal. |
| "I was aware of the fact it was illegal and did it anyway." | "I was aware of the fact it was illegal and did it anyway." |
| Mr Langham told the court he did not think looking at material "posted openly" was a criminal act. | Mr Langham told the court he did not think looking at material "posted openly" was a criminal act. |
| When Mr Barraclough asked if he was a sick man, the actor replied: "I would describe myself as a human being, a work in progress." | When Mr Barraclough asked if he was a sick man, the actor replied: "I would describe myself as a human being, a work in progress." |
| The prosecutor accused Mr Langham of being a "perverted individual". | The prosecutor accused Mr Langham of being a "perverted individual". |
| I'm fascinated by what people do and I'm fascinated by people tying each other up and doing weird sexual things to each other Chris Langham | I'm fascinated by what people do and I'm fascinated by people tying each other up and doing weird sexual things to each other Chris Langham |
| Mr Langham told the jury victims of abuse were his "brothers and sisters" and he felt no shame in looking at child pornography. | Mr Langham told the jury victims of abuse were his "brothers and sisters" and he felt no shame in looking at child pornography. |
| When asked why he had saved images on to his computer, he replied: "I thought if I could become angry enough I might be able to break this problem I have in accessing this stuff myself." | When asked why he had saved images on to his computer, he replied: "I thought if I could become angry enough I might be able to break this problem I have in accessing this stuff myself." |
| Mr Barraclough said this explanation was nonsense. | Mr Barraclough said this explanation was nonsense. |
| He added: "There's a much more deep seated reason why you were looking at this stuff, nothing to do with writing [the script for] Help." | |
| The actor denied that he had based the paedophile character of Pedro for the television series Help on himself. | The actor denied that he had based the paedophile character of Pedro for the television series Help on himself. |
| He said: "There's a community of people and the only thing they share is that something happened in their childhood which they don't talk about." | He said: "There's a community of people and the only thing they share is that something happened in their childhood which they don't talk about." |
| 'Not my interest' | 'Not my interest' |
| When asked by judge Philip Statman whether he had sought therapy to help him deal with being abused as a child and the "problem of the eight-year-old boy who is locked up", Mr Langham said he had spoken to friends about 20 years ago. | When asked by judge Philip Statman whether he had sought therapy to help him deal with being abused as a child and the "problem of the eight-year-old boy who is locked up", Mr Langham said he had spoken to friends about 20 years ago. |
| When it was put to him that 99.9% of the images he viewed contained pre-teen girls, Mr Langham said: "Little girls are not my prominent interest sexually. Little girls are not my interest at all." | When it was put to him that 99.9% of the images he viewed contained pre-teen girls, Mr Langham said: "Little girls are not my prominent interest sexually. Little girls are not my interest at all." |
| He admitted he had subscribed to an American website that featured women being raped but said violence against women did not arouse him. | He admitted he had subscribed to an American website that featured women being raped but said violence against women did not arouse him. |
| "I'm fascinated by what people do and I'm fascinated by people tying each other up and doing weird sexual things to each other; I think it's interesting." | "I'm fascinated by what people do and I'm fascinated by people tying each other up and doing weird sexual things to each other; I think it's interesting." |
| Mr Barraclough asked Mr Langham if he was "letting out the eight-year-old boy" when he became upset after denying he abused a 25-year-old woman when she was underage. | |
| "Please don't mock me. I'm frightened," the actor replied. | "Please don't mock me. I'm frightened," the actor replied. |
| On Thursday jurors at the court were directed to clear Mr Langham on four counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16 between 1996 and 1998. | On Thursday jurors at the court were directed to clear Mr Langham on four counts of indecent assault on a girl under 16 between 1996 and 1998. |
| The trial continues. | The trial continues. |