Old copy pasta, but an interesting angle from Townshend that I don't recall.

2:45AM BST 28 Sep 2012

Pete Townshend, The Who's guitarist, has claimed he paid for child pornography to prove that British banks were complicit in channelling the profits from paedophile rings.

Talking about his arrest for child pornography, Townshend described his decision to pay $7 to download images of abused youngsters was 'insane' but said he had been trying to investigate the industry.

It is the first time Townshend has spoken publicly since he was cautioned by police and put on the sex offender's register in 2003.

The star insisted he was looking at the website only while conducting research for a campaign against internet porn involving children.

In an interview with The Times, which is serialising his memoir 'Who I Am', Townshend said: "It's White Knight Syndrome. You want to be the one that's seen to be helping.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/music-news/9572773/Pete-Townshend-I-paid-for-child-porn-to-prove-British-banks-were-channelling-sex-ring-cash.html