By Sarah Lagan
A judge agreed to lift a section 11 court order banning the media
naming a pedlar of child porn after challenges by the Eastern Daily
Press and other news organisations.
Norwich Crown Court judge Simon Bartham had banned the
identification of Mark Seel who admitted to making, possessing and
distributing indecent photographs of children and had a number of
previous convictions.
He said Seel was due to give evidence in
another trial invloving child porn allegations which involved a member
of the Russian mafia and he was concerned for his safety.
Lawyers
for the EDP and News of the World prepared to challenge the section 11.
But when the defence informed Seel he said anonymity had created more
publicity for him than if the section 11 order had not been issued and
he would prefer to be named and withdraw from the other trial.
EDP assistant editor Paul Durrant said: “We were able to run a splash story with more details of his sordid past.
“The
information is now in the public domain but only because of the
vigilance of the Eastern Daily Press and the News of the World and
being able to employ a barrister who argued the case.
“I have no regrets in pursuing this.
The
EDP was able to find Seel’s name and his links on Google in 30 seconds
and if we could do that I’m sure the Russian mafia could have done it.
Secondly, the public of Norfolk had a right to know the character and antecedents of the man living in their community.”
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