The CPS joins the 21st century on adults watching porn

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced at the end of January 2019, that it will no longer seek to prosecute adults who possess images of consensual adult pornography.

Well, it's about time! I previously defended a client who was employed to make copies of porn films. They depicted adults, several at a time, engaged in legal sexual acts. The CPS decided that the acts were “obscene”, and might “deprave and corrupt” other adults who watched them.

Part of my arguments to the jury were that copying or watching films of adults engaged in a legal activity could not possibly itself be illegal! I won that case – after the CPS had wasted public time and money.

They have now realised that, “It is not for the CPS to decide what is considered good taste or objectionable. We do not propose to bring charges based on material that depicts consensual and legal activity between adults, where no serious harm is caused and the likely audience is over the age of 18”.

Welcome to the 21st century.