Retired judge charged over child porn

A judge who retired from the bench only six days ago has been charged with downloading child pornography from the internet.

Former circuit judge David Selwood, 69, was charged with 12 counts of making indecent photos of a child and one count of possessing an indecent photo of a child. He was bailed to appear at Bow Street magistrates' court on 16 June.

Mr Selwood served as resident judge at Portsmouth Crown Court until the day of his arrest in April.

He retired last Wednesday, citing ill-health. The timing of his resignation means he is entitled to his full £36,600-a-year pension.

A spokesman for the Lord Chancellor's Department said that Mr Selwood's pension could not now be affected by any trial or its outcome.

Mr Selwood, who has been married for more than 30 years, was arrested at his home in Winchester as part of Operation Ore, after his credit-card details were allegedly linked to a US child porn website.

The former Army major-general became a circuit judge in Hampshire in 1992 and has been resident judge in Portsmouth since 1996.