27 February 2024 , 15:01
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Daniel Frogson, an actor best known for his role in His Dark Materials, has been found guilty of downloading hundreds of 'sickening' images of child abuse.
The BAFTA-nominated actor from Nottingham had nearly 850 disturbing photographs of children as young as three on his devices. Nottingham Crown Court heard that police discovered 165 of the most severe category A indecent images, typically depicting adults sexually abusing children, on Frogson's devices.
The court was told that the now 21 year old actor, who gained fame through shows like His Dark Materials, had been viewing these pictures since he was 17. He has been warned to stay out of trouble for two years or face imprisonment, Nottingham Live reports.
Judge Steven Coupland handed him an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months, and said: "The images I have seen are sickening. Each of them is a real child being abused for the pleasure of someone like you watching. It is made worse because of the number of them - there were 848 indecent images - and it is made worse by the length of time you were doing it. You told the probation officer you do not have a sexual interest in children. I don't accept that."
Lauren Manuel, defending, mentioned that her client was nominated for a Bafta acting award for his role as Joe in the 2018 mini-series Joe All Alone, which won the prestigious award for Best Children's Drama that year. In the film, Frogson, from Eastwood, played Joe, a 13 year old boy left alone by his mum and her boyfriend when they go on holiday for a week. The actor, who also starred in the 2023 movie The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, was living in Nuthall when an IP address there was suspected of downloading child abuse pictures in early 2023.
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Nicola Patten, the prosecutor, said: "Two devices were seized and the defendant was arrested. On them were 165 category A images, 88 category B and 592 category C. There were also three banned pictures of children and search terms showing a sexual interest in children. He was interviewed twice in 2023 and both times he answered 'no comment' to the question he was asked." Frogson, now living in Malthouse Close, admitted to having the indecent images and has no past convictions of any kind.
Miss Manuel, defending him, said: "He did very well with his drama and acting and got a Bafta nomination for Joe All Alone where he played a young boy living at home dealing with drug use. He is currently working in construction while going for auditions and over the past 12 months has put his life on hold waiting for the result of this case."
As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge told Frogson to attend a 43-day sex offender's rehab programme and ordered him to do a further 15 rehab sessions. He was placed on the sex offender register for 10 years and given a five-year sexual harm prevention order.
*Rape and sexual abuse * If you've been the victim of sexual assault, you can access help and resources via www.rapecrisis.org.uk or calling the national telephone helpline on 0808 802 9999