Erotic film star extols ‘pornography virtues’

A EROTIC movie star is to make make the case for her trade at the Edinburgh International Science Festival.

Vex Ashley, a former art student turned erotic actress, will join a panel of experts to discuss the topic “Can pornography be good for you?”.

She will appear alongside obscenity lawyer Myles Jackman, psychotherapist Paula Hall and Richard Lucas of the Solas Centre for Public Christianity on Sunday, April 3.

The 26-year-old, from Leeds, describes herself as an “ex-art student turned professional undresser”, performs on her own website and has starred in a number of avante-garde adult films.

The talk is part of the Science and Culture Discussion series at the festival, and will be restricted to an over-14 age group.

A spokesman for the festival said: “We realise that it is a controversial topic and we are happy with that. A festival is melting pot of ideas that brings together people that might not otherwise have the opportunity to speak to each other.

“We think this is a valuable opportunity to think about controversial topics and hear about them from informed speakers.”

The Rev David Robertson, Moderator of the Free Church and director of the Solas Centre, said that they were taking part to make the point that pornography is harmful, adding that it is “demeaning to women”.