Green changes story over the discovery of porn on his computer
Police confirm that they sought CPS advice over some extreme images but no law existed at that time
THERESA MAY’S de facto deputy prime minister appears to have retreated from his previous outright denial about extreme porn being found on his computer as he continues to fight for his political life.
Damian Green had previously rejected claims that any pornographic material had been found on his personal computer.
On Nov4 he issued a statement saying: “This story is completely untrue and comes from a tainted and untrustworthy source. The police have never suggested to me that improper material was found on my Parliamentary computer, nor did I have a ‘private’ computer as has been claimed.
“The allegations about the material and computer, now nine years old, are false, disreputable smears.”
However, he appeared to shift ground after Sir Paul Stephenson, the former Metropolitan Commissioner, confirmed on Nov 12 that he was informed that detectives had found pornographic material on a work computer seized when Mr Green was a shadow minister.
Sources said Mr Stephenson did not consider it a criminal matter at the time, but his confirmation that such material was found piled more pressure on the deputy prime minister.
Now Mr Green has issued a second statement, this time appearing to concede that porn had been found on the computer, but denying that he had downloaded it or viewed it at all.
In a statement issued on Friday he said: “As I have said throughout I did not put or view pornography on the computers taken from my office.”
Although no legal action can now be taken against anyone for the images, the Whitehall inquiry into Mr Green’s conduct is now looking at the allegations and his initial response to them.
It was ordered by Mrs May following a claim that he made an inappropriate advance to the journalist Kate Maltby.
Mr Green said that the claim was “untrue and deeply hurtful”. A Down- ing Street spokesman said: “We do not comment on ongoing investigations.”
It is understood that Mr Green maintains he has not changed his position on the matter.
The latest development came after it was claimed that the material on his computer was viewed on “an almost daily basis”.
Some of the images found were so extreme that police sought CPS advice on whether to prosecute. But no relevant law was in place when Mr Green’s office was raided on Nov 27 2008, during an inquiry into government leaks. The law was changed eight weeks later.
A source close to the investigation told The Sun: “Porn was being accessed on an almost virtual daily basis. Police were told nothing could be done. It was not illegal to be in possession of extreme images before Jan 2009. If the raid had happened a few weeks later it would have been.”
It remains unclear who could have downloaded the pornography, which it is understood did not feature sexual images of children.
Accessing extreme porn became illegal under sections 63 to 67 of the 2008 Crime and Immigration Act which came into force on Jan 26 2009.
Keir Starmer, the then director of public prosecutions and now a Labour frontbencher, is said to have been consulted over the images.