wfgodot
Former Member
- Joined
- Mar 4, 2009
- Messages
- 30,166
- Reaction score
- 731
Graham Ovenden convicted of child sex offences (Guardian)
Artist found guilty at Truro crown court of six charges of
indecency with a child and one count of indecent assault
Graham Ovenden (Wiki)
Artist found guilty at Truro crown court of six charges of
indecency with a child and one count of indecent assault
Artist Graham Ovenden found guilty of indecency against young girls after using nude children in his paintings (Daily Mail)An internationally renowned artist has been convicted of sex offences against children.
---
Graham Ovenden denied all the charges relating to four children – now all adults – between 1972 and 1985.
The incidents, involving young girls, are said to have taken place at Ovenden's former and current addresses, in London and Cornwall, respectively.
---
The charges relate to four claimants, who contacted police long after the abuse is alleged to have taken place, and only when they realised exactly what had happened to them as girls, the court heard.
Ovenden denied the abuse ever happened. He told the court he had taken pictures of children – including those in various states of undress – but said they were not indecent.
---
Ovenden, who lives near Bodmin Moor in Cornwall, denies having a sexual interest in children.
more at the links---
During the trial Ovenden spoke frankly from the witness box, quoting biblical and literary works in explaining his use of naked children as part of his 'state of grace' body of work.
He also described the 'neuroses' of the prosecutor, and the 'witch-hunt' that plagued the art world from those who disagreed with the naked child form.
Referring to one of his subjects, an alleged victim in the case, he said: '(She) was a beautiful child - not only as she was, as you see her in front of a camera, but also as a person.
'It think it is important that someone pays homage to that and place her in a state of grace. I think holding those things, by photography or painting, is a moral obligation.'
In a nod to English poet William Blake, Ovenden described the 'state of grace' as 'a thing of wondrous beauty'.
---
He told the court: 'I have to say the absolute witch-hunt which is going on at the moment - and the idea of a child naked is something to be frowned upon - is absolutely abhorrent.'
---
Graham Ovenden (Wiki)