BAFTA-nominated actor Daniel Frogson who starred in BBC drama His Dark Materials admits watching 850 'sickening' child abuse images

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  • Daniel Frogson, 21, pleaded guilty to possession of the indecent images

A BAFTA-nominated actor downloaded and viewed almost 850 sick abuse photographs of children as young as three years old.

Daniel Frogson, 21, admitted viewing the ‘sickening’ images at Nottingham Crown Court, where he was found guilty of downloading 848 indecent images including 165 of the most serious category, which typically shows adults raping children.

The court heard how Frogson, a CBBC actor who featured in BBC drama ‘His Dark Materials’, had been viewing the pictures since he was 17.

Handing him 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.’

Frogson was placed on the sex offender register for ten years and given a five-year sexual harm prevention order – but will avoid jail if he stays out of trouble for two years.

Daniel Frogson attends a Gala Screening of 'The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry' at The Ham Yard Hotel on April 18, 2023 in London

Daniel Frogson attends a Gala Screening of ‘The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry’ at The Ham Yard Hotel on April 18, 2023 in London

Daniel Frogson features in BBC drama His Dark Materials, an acclaimed fantasy TV series

Daniel Frogson features in BBC drama His Dark Materials, an acclaimed fantasy TV series

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.’

Police were first alerted to the images being downloaded from an IP address in Nuthall, Notts. where Frogson was living, Metro reported.

Patten said: ‘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 and has no previous convictions of any kind.

Lauren Manuel, defending, said her client was nominated for a Bafta acting award for his role as Joe in the 2018 mini-series Joe All Alone, which won the prestigious award for Best Children’s Drama that year.

Joe All Alone aired on children’s television channel CBBC. 

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. 

Frogson was nominated for a Bafta acting award for his role as Joe in the 2018 mini-series Joe All Alone, which won the prestigious award for Best Children's Drama that year

Frogson was nominated for a Bafta acting award for his role as Joe in the 2018 mini-series Joe All Alone, which won the prestigious award for Best Children’s Drama that year

Daniel Frogson attends the Global Premiere of HBO and BBC's 'His Dark Materials' at BFI Southbank on October 15, 2019 in London

Daniel Frogson attends the Global Premiere of HBO and BBC’s ‘His Dark Materials’ at BFI Southbank on October 15, 2019 in London

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 in early 2023. 

Miss Manuel, mitigating, 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.’ 

As part of the suspended sentence order, the judge ordered Frogson to attend a 43-day sex offender’s rehabilitation programme and ordered him to carry out a further 15 rehabilitation sessions.

Frogson starred in The Devil Outside and The Last Bus.