Rock star at centre of UK police child porn probe

A British rock star is at the centre of a British police investigation into allegations that he downloaded child pornography from the Internet, it was reported today.

Details of the internationally-famous musician, whose name has not been disclosed, are said to have been passed to British detectives dealing with an American pay-per-view porn ring.

Scotland Yard officers are now investigating the legendary star and deciding whether to make an arrest, according to today’s Daily Mail.

If he is taken in for questioning he will become the highest-profile person to be held under Operation Ore, the largest-ever investigation into online paedophilia in the UK, says the newspaper.

About 1,300 people have so far been arrested, including a judge, magistrates, dentists, hospital consultants and a deputy headmaster.

Fifty British police officers have also been arrested and eight of them charged with offences, including two officers involved in the police investigation into the murders of Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

The rock star’s name, credit card details and e-mail address were contained in a list of 7,000 people passed to British police by the US Postal Service earlier this year after the pay-per-view service was smashed, reports the Daily Mail.

Detectives are said to have been handed details of his credit card last month and believe it was used to pay for access to pornographic images. They are also reported to be investigating the possibility that the card had been used by someone else.

Scotland Yard and the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) each refused to give details of the case, saying they did not discuss individual cases.

A spokesman for NCIS said the files of anybody suspected of downloading pornographic material from the Internet were being sent to relevant police forces around the country for further investigation.

The star is said to be married with children and lives in Britain.

He is the second high profile British rock star to be linked to Internet paedophilia.

In 1999 disgraced Gary Glitter was jailed for four months after indecent pictures of children were found on his laptop computer.

Earlier this week the former glam rock star, real name Paul Gadd, was arrested and deported by Cambodia.

In another episode, singer, record producer and broadcaster Jonathan King was jailed for seven years in 2001 for sex attacks on five boys.