Pete Townshend denies being a paedophile

Pete Townshend has denied that he is a paedophile.

It follows newspaper claims that British police are investigating internet child porn allegations against an unnamed famous rock star.

The Who guitarist said he had studied child pornography for research into a campaign against it and had told police what he was doing.

The 57-year-old said: "I am not a paedophile. I think paedophilia is appalling."

He spoke out after a report in the Daily Mail claimed an unnamed internationally-famous musician had been passed to detectives dealing with an American pay-per-view porn ring. The report said Scotland Yard officers are now investigating and deciding whether to make an arrest.

Townshend, who is married with children, said: "To fight against paedophilia, you have to know what's out there. I have been involved in a campaign against paedophilia on the internet but it fizzled out.

"I think I may have been sexually abused as a child and I was doing research into it. I've been writing my life story and the research is for a book.

"I've been in touch with Scotland Yard to tell them what I was doing. I have contacted them but no police officers have contacted me. I am waiting for the police to talk to me but they haven't been round.

"I have done a lot of work on paedophilia and my website has highlighted it. I have looked into the abuse that children have suffered in Chechnya and Kosovo and the portrayal of these children on the internet."

Scotland Yard have refused to comment. British police are conducting their largest-ever investigation, code-named Operation Ore, into online paedophilia and child pornography.