Bafta-nominated actor downloaded hundreds of child abuse images
848 ‘SICKENING’ PICTURES FOUND ON TWO DEVICES AT HIS HOME
A BAFTA-NOMINATED actor from Nottingham downloaded and viewed almost 850 sick abuse photographs of children as young as three.
Nottingham Crown Court heard how police found 165 of the most serious category A indecent images, which typically show adults raping children, when they examined devices belonging to Daniel Frogson.
The now 21-year-old, who rose to fame in shows such as His Dark Materials, had been viewing the pictures since he was 17, his sentencing hearing was told. Now he has to stay out of trouble for two years or risk being sent to jail.
Imposing an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months, Judge Steven Coupland said: “The images I have seen are sickening. Each of them is a real child being abused for the pleasure of someone like you watching.
“It is made worse because of the number of them – there were 848 indecent images – and it is made worse by the length of time you were doing it. You told the probation officer you do not have a sexual interest in children. I don’t accept that.”
In mitigation, Lauren Manuel said her client was nominated for a Bafta acting award for his role as Joe in the 2018 miniseries Joe All Alone, which won the prestigious award for best children’s drama.
In it, Frogson, of Eastwood, played
Joe, a 13-year-old boy left behind by his mother and her boyfriend when they go away for a week. The defendant, who also had a role in the 2023 film The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry, was living in Nuthall when an IP address there was suspected of downloading child abuse images early last year.
Nicola Patten, prosecuting, said: “Two devices were seized and the defendant was arrested. On them were 165 category A images, 88 category B and 592 category C. There were also three prohibited images of children and search terms showing a sexual interest in children. He was interviewed twice in 2023 and on both occasions answered ‘no comment’ to the question he was asked.”
Frogson, now of Malthouse Close, pleaded guilty to possession of the indecent images. He has no previous convictions of any kind.
Miss Manuel said: “He did very well with his drama and acting and received a Bafta nomination for Joe All Alone where he played a young boy living at home having to deal with drug use.
“He is currently working in construction in between carrying out auditions and over the past 12 months has put his life on hold awaiting the outcome of this case.”
The judge also ordered Frogson to attend a 43-day rehabilitation programme and to attend a further 15 rehabilitation sessions. He placed him on the sex offenders’ register for 10 years and imposed a five-year sexual harm prevention order.