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Langham loses appeal on sentence Langham loses appeal on sentence
(10 minutes later)
An appeal by actor Chris Langham to cut his ten month jail sentence for downloading child pornography has been rejected by the Court of Appeal. An appeal by actor Chris Langham to cut his 10-month jail sentence for downloading child pornography has been rejected by the Court of Appeal.
The Bafta award-winner was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court last month after he was convicted on 15 counts of downloading images of children.The Bafta award-winner was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court last month after he was convicted on 15 counts of downloading images of children.
Langham had denied the charges claiming he viewed the images as research for a paedophile character. Langham, 58, had denied the charges, claiming he viewed the images as research for a paedophile character.
The jury cleared him of having sex with an under-age girl.The jury cleared him of having sex with an under-age girl.
More follows. A Court of Appeal spokesman said the case was refused by a single judge on Friday.
'Not a paedophile'
He said Langham had the option to renew his application but so far had not done so.
Langham is due to be released early in the New Year after serving about half his sentence.
The father of five, from Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, is well known for his starring role in the television drama The Thick Of It.
At his trial, he admitted viewing the images but denied the charges, saying he was not a paedophile.
As well as preparing for a role in the TV series Help, he said he was trying to make sense of sexual abuse he suffered as a child.
Langham is currently due to serve about half his 10-month sentence.
He was arrested in November 2005 when video files of child abuse were found on a computer, a laptop and an external hard disk drive at his home.