Pete Townshend

Pete Townshend, the renowned guitarist of The Who, was investigated in connection with Operation Ore, an FBI-led crackdown on internet child pornography that extended to the UK. Arrested in January 2003 on suspicion of making and possessing indecent images of children, Townshend's case stemmed from his credit card use to access a website advertising child pornography in 1999.

Following a four-month investigation by London's Metropolitan Police, authorities determined that Townshend was not in possession of any downloaded child abuse images. However, he acknowledged entering the site and was issued a formal police caution for accessing material containing images of child abuse. The police emphasised that accessing such images for research or curiosity does not constitute a defence.

Townshend claimed his actions were part of research for his autobiography, drawing parallels to themes of sexual abuse in his rock opera Tommy, where the protagonist is abused by an uncle. He also stated he had been sexually abused as a young boy while in the care of his mentally ill grandmother and had worked with charities combating online child pornography. Nonetheless, the Internet Watch Foundation, a UK body funded by industry to tackle child pornography on the web, confirmed it had no prior contact with the musician.

As part of the cautioning procedure, Townshend's fingerprints, photograph, and DNA sample were taken, and he was placed on the national sex offenders register for five years. This outcome came amid the broader Operation Ore inquiry, which had led to over 1,300 arrests in the UK by early 2003, including professionals such as judges, teachers, and police officers. The operation was the British counterpart to the US's Operation Avalanche, triggered by the shutdown of Landslide Promotions, a major child pornography gateway.

In a statement, Townshend expressed resentment, saying, 'I greatly resent being bullied and slurred.' The case highlighted the growing issue of online child exploitation, with the Internet Watch Foundation reporting a 64% rise in complaints to 17,868 in 2002.