I’m a fan of Al Gore, but “no controlling legal authority” is pretty far from his proudest moment.
Sounds like no one’s buying it…however, I don’t get the other references: King and Glitter. And what is Monkey Dust? Sorry…I don’t get out much… 
Oh…I remember Gary Glitter. But I still don’t get King.
Gary Glitter (“Rock and Roll, Part 1” and “2”) has been convicted of abusing two girls in Vietnam and jailed for three years there.
OK, then, how about the diminished capacity defense - “My consumption of junk food clearly indicates that I was not myself!” Still pretty stupid.
His excuse? First, he said they were living with him to learn English. THEN he said they only slept in his bed because “they were afraid of ghosts.” But even though “nothing happened!” he still said it’s okay to have sex with a thirteen year old if they consent.
Despicable human being.
Oh, what about Michael Jackson? “Oh, we just sleep in the bed, I give them milk and cookies, sharing your bed is so loving, you’re just ignorant!”
He was never tried. His excuse was apparently the truth - all of his computers were confiscated and nothing turned up, and he was given a warning - so that not only makes him a non-pedophile, I think that makes him ineligible for this list. 
Also acquitted, for the record.
As far as the “kiddie porn/research” claim, while I know of Townshend, I think (although I can’t recall specifics) that there are others that have made this same claim. Including a former professor of mine, who evidently was caught by the school’s tech support group and was discovered to have the largest collection of kiddie porn by one individual in New York State. OK, he wasn’t famous, so maybe he doesn’t apply. But he is a published author.
I got bad intelligence.
Jonathan King. Probably not heard of him because he was a Z-list British celebrity. And according to wikipedia, his excuse was:
Acquitted in a criminal trial last year; settled a civil suit for the same thing a decade earlier for something like $20 million. So it’s not quite the same as Townshend’s situation. And see my other post. It seems his excuse (which did sound stupid, and covered a stupid decision) was the truth.
“Wardrobe malfunction.” I’m not sure how evil boobies are*, but the excuse was certainly lame.
- If you don’t count stuff like the woman on Dr. 90210 with half-gallon implants.
Get your facts straight. The authorites searched every one of Pete’s computers and did not find any porn.He was busted and given a police caution for submitting his credit card info. Choose to believe his “research” story or not. His views on the insidious nature of internet porn were well documented prior to 2003. He had to abandon his anti-porn crusade because of a foolish mistake…I don’t think he’d mind if I quoted him here:
Why would a Wookiee, an eight-foot tall Wookiee, want to live on Endor, with a bunch of two-foot tall Ewoks? That does not make sense! But more important, you have to ask yourself: What does this have to do with this case? Nothing. Ladies and gentlemen, it has nothing to do with this case! It does not make sense! Look at me. I’m a lawyer defending a major record company, and I’m talkin’ about Chewbacca! Does that make sense? Ladies and gentlemen, I am not making any sense! None of this makes sense! And so you have to remember, when you’re in that jury room deliberatin’ and conjugatin’ the Emancipation Proclamation, [approaches and softens] does it make sense? No! Ladies and gentlemen of this supposed jury, it does not make sense! If Chewbacca lives on Endor, you must acquit! The defense rests.
Eastenders’ Gillian Taylforth? Too damn funny!
Practicing for her role on Footballers Wives, no doubt.
I have to agree that Townshend doesn’t belong on this list. As ridiculous as a “research” defense would normally sound, I intuitively believed him at the time and I think the investigation (along with Townshend’s documented activism in fighting this stuff) backed up his story. He made a stupid mistake but I don’t believe he’s a pedophile or that he had any prurient interest in what he did.
Why was Townshend even charged if there wasn’t any kiddy porn on his computer in the first place?
He wasn’t charged. He was investigated and eventually given an official police “warning” because he used his credit card to subscribe to a child porn site. The police said his computer had only accessed the site a single time and that he had not downloaded any images. Townshend claimed he had accessed the site because he was doing research for his autobiography. Townshend has been an activist for adult survivors of child sexual abuse, is a survivor himself (Tommy was largely about that) and that he wanted to write about it in his book. The investigation found no actual images of child porn on any of his computers and he was cleared with a warning but he still had to register as a sex offender for five years.
Wow, that sucks.
Could we please take the Townsend hijack elsewhere?