Media helping paedophiles escape charges, say police

Paedophiles among 6,500 suspects being investigated for paying to watch child sex abuse on the internet could escape prosecution because of the "reckless" actions of the media, the head of the police operation targeting them warned yesterday. Assistant Chief Constable Jim Gamble, of the National Crime Squad, who is running Britain's biggest police inquiry, codenamed Operation Ore, fears that suspects tipped off by the press may have already destroyed their computers and other evidence.

Mr Gamble, in an interview with The Independent, also disclosed that the Home Office is considering new laws to allow the police to electronically monitor convicted paedophiles to prevent them from using the internet to access child pornography. Paedophiles who break the proposed 24-hour "cyber" surveillance could be jailed.

About 6,500 people are suspected of paying an American-run website for access to photographs and film of babies and children being sexually abused. So far, 1,700 cases have been completed by the police.

But Mr Gamble is concerned that some of the remaining 4,800 suspects may escape justice. He said: "There is a lot of reckless speculation by the media about who may or may not be on the list. From the policing point of view it can jeopardise our investigation."

The most famous person to be "outed" as an Ore suspect by the press is Pete Townshend. The guitarist of the band the Who has admitted using the illegal website but insists it was for research purposes. He is expected to be cautioned for the offence.

Mr Gamble also revealed he is in discussion with the Home Office over proposals for greater monitoring of what convicted paedophiles view and download from the internet.

Mr Gamble said: "If you are a convicted paedophile we will take certain measures to protect the public – our view is if you have a propensity to commit this type of behaviour we should be able to police your activities in the real and cyber worlds. It's about having the ability to monitor activities in an online environment and we have put certain proposals to the Home Secretary's advisory group."

* No action is to be taken against the former manager of the Bay City Rollers. Tam Paton was arrested as part of an investigation into allegations that he abused an underaged boy in the late 1970s. Surrey Police confirmed yesterday that Mr Paton would not be charged.