CBBC Actor Daniel Frogson Faces Conviction for Downloading Explicit Images

Trigger Warning: Child Abuse Content Discussed

Renowned CBBC and His Dark Materials actor Daniel Frogson, a Bafta-nominated talent, has recently been found guilty of downloading explicit child abuse images.

Frogson, recognised for his portrayal of Tony Costa in the fantasy drama and Joe All Alone, admitted to viewing 848 indecent images, including 165 falling under the most heinous category depicting adults engaging in harmful acts against children.

The 21-year-old had been accessing these distressing images since the age of 17, as disclosed during the proceedings at Nottingham Crown Court. Frogson pleaded guilty to the possession of indecent images, resulting in an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months.

Under the suspended sentence, Frogson is mandated by the judge to engage in a 43-day sex offender’s rehabilitation program and attend an additional 15 rehabilitation sessions. Additionally, he has been placed on the sex offender register for a decade and handed a five-year sexual harm prevention order.

Judge Steven Coupland, delivering the sentence, expressed his profound dismay at the images: "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."

The investigation into Frogson's activities began when officers were alerted to child abuse images being downloaded from an IP address in Nuthall, where Frogson was residing, in early 2023. Upon arrest, he was found with 165 category A images, 88 category B, and 592 category C. Furthermore, three prohibited images of children and search terms indicating a sexual interest in children were discovered.

Frogson, during interviews in 2023, consistently responded with "no comment" to the questions posed. In his defence, his lawyer, Lauren Manuel, acknowledged Frogson's achievements in his acting career, revealing that he is presently working in construction between auditions and awaiting the trial's outcome.