Shropshire man 'collected child porn for research'
A Shropshire man told police that the only reason he had indecent images of children on his computer and in his house was because he was putting together a dossier to hand in to television bosses.
Peter Evans, 62, of Ludlow Road, Church Stretton, told officers he was compiling a collection of pictures because he wanted to expose child porn through a television programme.
Evans is standing trial at Shrewsbury Crown Court, where he denies 14 charges in relation to indecent images.
He denies eight charges of making, five charges of possessing and one charge of possessing with intent for show indecent images of children.
They relate to a period between January 12, 2000 and January 21, 2012.
Mr Kevin Grego, prosecuting, told the jury at the start of the trial yesterday, that officers raided Evans's home on January 20, 2012.
He said: "In late 2011 police inquiries began into Mr Evans and as a result, on January 20, 2012, a number of police officers went to the defendant's address.
"The officers knocked on the door and the defendant opened. He invited the officers in and he was placed under arrest on suspicion of child porn charges.
"Being under arrest, the officers began a search and a number of items of evidence were seized, including computer equipment and an envelope containing two images printed off a computer."
Mr Grego added: "He was taken to Shrewsbury Police Station and interviewed. The defendant accepted he was responsible for the images. He told officers 'I was doing this, looking for low level child pornography for research purposes'.
"He said he was going to prepare a dossier and see if this was something that could be used for television purposes.
"We say that is no excuse. First of all you are not allowed to search for this kind of material and you are also not allowed to keep it."
The trial continues.
