U.K. Blogger Facing Obscenity Charge for Rape Story

NEWCASTLE, England — A man is being prosecuted on charges of publishing a story on the Internet detailing the kidnap, torture, mutilation and murder of the U.K. pop group Girls Aloud.

Darryn Walker, 35, will appear before a judge later this month to face charges of writing and posting the blog on a fantasy porn website. The case is the first test of the 1959 Obscene Publications Act since the rise of the Internet, and is one of the few involving written words. The Act, which has never been updated, makes it illegal to publish material that tends to "deprave and corrupt" those reading or viewing it. The act was used in 1960 to prosecute Penguin Books for publishing D.H. Lawrence's novel "Lady Chatterley's Lover."

The blog article was headlined "Girls (Scream) Aloud" and reportedly described in detail the rape and killing of the girl group. Although the website is hosted elsewhere, prosecution was based on the alleged author being identified as a British citizen living in the UK.

The Internet Watch Foundation, an independent group dedicated to finding and reporting illegal online content, discovered the blog last year and informed the Crown Prosecution Service. Walker was arrested in February at his home in South Shields, near Newcastle, by officers from Scotland Yard's Obscene Publications Unit.

Walker was charged with the publication of an obscene article on July 10, and entered no plea before South Tyneside Magistrates, where he was granted unconditional bail. He is due to appear at Newcastle Crown Court later this month.

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said it was unusual to see a prosecution which did not involve images. She said, "The vast majority of prosecutions brought under the Obscene Publications Act have related to images; be they photographs, computer-generated images or videos. It is very unusual to be prosecuted for a case involving the written word."

Girls Aloud became well-known in the U.K. in 2002 after appearing on a reality music show. They have had a record-breaking 18 consecutive top 10 singles. The group is made up of Nadine Coyle, Sarah Harding, Nicola Roberts, Kimberley Walsh and Cheryl Cole, who is now a judge on another reality music show.

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Adult Networking Platform SpicyGigs.com Launches

SpicyGigs, a new adult industry networking platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support to Host 'Cream Pie Challenge' Fundraiser

Pineapple Support is hosting its Cream Pie Challenge through August to raise funds for mental health services for industry performers.

Kyrgyzstan President Signs Measure Outlawing Internet Porn

President Sadyr Japarov of Kyrgyzstan on Tuesday signed into law legislation outlawing online adult content in the country.

NC Legislature Overrides Veto of Extreme Anti-Adult Industry Bill

The North Carolina state legislature on Tuesday voted to override Gov. Josh Stein’s veto of a bill imposing regulations that industry observers have warned could push adult websites and platforms to ban most creators and content.

Report: VPN Downloads Soar in UK Following Age Verification Deadline

Virtual private network apps, which can be used to circumvent geo-specific age verification requirements, are topping Apple App Store downloads in the U.K. in the wake of new Online Safety Act rules, the BBC is reporting.

Strike 3 Holdings Sues Meta for Pirating Vixen Media Group Content to Train AI

Vixen Media Group owner Strike 3 Holdings filed suit in federal court this week, accusing Facebook parent company Meta of copyright infringement and alleging that Meta has extensively pirated VMG content to train its artificial intelligence models.

Pineapple Support, Streamate to Host 'Navigating Grief and Loss' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Streamate are hosting a free online support group to help performers cope with grief and loss.

Friday is Final AV Compliance Deadline in UK

Friday, July 25 marks U.K. media regulator Ofcom’s deadline for user-to-user services such as tube, cam and fan sites to implement its requisite “highly effective age assurance” measures for preventing minors from viewing adult content.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for May, June

AEBN has released the top search terms for the months of May and June from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Two Texas Bills Restricting Sex Toy Sales Fail to Pass

Two bills aimed at restricting sales of sex toys have failed to pass the Texas state legislature during its 2025 session.

Show More