Half-good news...

From BBC News (quoted in full, cos I'm too lazy for editing):

Actor Chris Langham has been found guilty of downloading child porn.

Langham, of Golford, Kent, said he was only studying the porn as research for a television drama - but he was convicted at Maidstone Crown Court.

However, the 58-year-old actor has been acquitted of charges of indecently assaulting an underage girl and two counts of a serious sexual offence.

Judge Philip Statman remanded the BAFTA winner in custody for sentencing on September 14.

The jury of seven men and four women deliberated for about two hours and 40 minutes before they returned their verdicts.

Langham claimed in court that he had looked at the images while formulating a character for the BBC series Help.

He said he pleaded not guilty because he did not want to be called a paedophile.

While giving evidence his Help co-star, comedian Paul Whitehouse, told the court that he had no knowledge Langham used child pornography for research.

During his time in the witness box, Langham said when he was eight he had been the victim of abuse while on holiday in Canada. He said he did not want to go into any detail, but he felt "deep, deep shame" about what had happened.

Langham also told the jury victims of abuse were his "brothers and sisters" and he felt no shame in looking at child pornography.

When asked by the prosecution why he had saved images on to his computer, he replied: "I thought if I could become angry enough I might be able to break this problem I have in accessing this stuff myself."

The jury were directed to clear the actor of four other indecent assault charges part way through the trial.

In a statement read out by his solicitor, Langham said: "I am absolutely delighted my name has been cleared of all the charges I have consistently denied.

"I have been found guilty on charges I have made admission to from the moment of my first arrest.

"I am grateful to the jury for their careful deliberation and I would also like to thank the press for their restraint in not making the lives of my wife, children and family difficult during this time and I implore them to continue to grant my family the privacy they need.

"I am afraid I am unable to comment further until sentence on the 14 September."

Det Insp Derek Cuff, of Kent Police, said: "Let us not forget that child abuse images circulating on the internet are real situations involving real children, who are sexually abused for other's gain and self-gratification.

"Viewing such images simply perpetuates child abuse."

He added: "The jury had to view some images that had to be selected carefully - but what they saw and heard in evidence is harrowing and disturbing.

"I think this itself puts some measure of perspective on the level of child abuse we are dealing with."

Admitting in court that he'd probably have kept on downloading images if he hadn't been arrested may have been a little too honest, frankly. The more serious charges have clearly been shown to be utter twaddle though, so that's a good thing.