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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Langham wins early jail release | Langham wins early jail release |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Actor Chris Langham has been freed from jail after his 10-month prison sentence for downloading child pornography was reduced by the Court of Appeal. | Actor Chris Langham has been freed from jail after his 10-month prison sentence for downloading child pornography was reduced by the Court of Appeal. |
| The Bafta award-winner was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court in September after he was convicted on 15 counts of downloading images of children. | The Bafta award-winner was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court in September after he was convicted on 15 counts of downloading images of children. |
| Langham, 58, who denied all charges, left Elmley Prison, Kent, on Wednesday after the term was cut by four months. | Langham, 58, who denied all charges, left Elmley Prison, Kent, on Wednesday after the term was cut by four months. |
| As he left, he said: "My life has been ruined but my conscience is clear." | As he left, he said: "My life has been ruined but my conscience is clear." |
| In a prepared statement, the comedy actor said that reporting of the case had "completely ignored" the court's "acceptance based upon all the evidence and expert opinion that I have no sexual interest in children". | |
| But he added: "Perhaps the media cannot be blamed for this misrepresentation when the judge, having accepted that I'm not a paedophile, then sent me to prison for 10 months as if I was." | |
| I saw a tiny number of images of child abuse which I have always said were distressing, sickening and atrocious Chris Langham | |
| He said: "To set the record straight, I never paid to look at the material. | |
| "I saw a tiny number of images of child abuse which I have always said were distressing, sickening and atrocious. | |
| "I looked because I was writing about the subject of child abuse. | |
| "My own abuse as a child made it important for me to attempt to address this subject in my writing. | |
| "I was wrong to do so but I believe the price I have been asked to pay is out of all proportion." | |
| When he was asked what the future held for him, he said: "I just don't know." | |
| Abuse videos | Abuse videos |
| During the trial, Langham claimed he viewed the images as research for a paedophile character. | |
| The father-of-five, from Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, had been due for release early in the New Year, when he would have served about half his sentence. | The father-of-five, from Golford, near Cranbrook, Kent, had been due for release early in the New Year, when he would have served about half his sentence. |
| The comedy actor is well known for his starring role in the television drama The Thick Of It. | The comedy actor is well known for his starring role in the television drama The Thick Of It. |
| The jury in the trial cleared Langham of a further charge having sex with an under-age girl. | |
| Langham 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. | Langham 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. |
| His appeal was allowed by Lord Justice Gage, Mr Justice Openshaw and Dame Heather Steel. | His appeal was allowed by Lord Justice Gage, Mr Justice Openshaw and Dame Heather Steel. |