Benched at Half-Time?

According to Wikipedia: Townshend, scooped up within a probe of a website alleged to advertise child porn, stated in the press and on his website that he had been engaged in research for "A Different Bomb" (a now-abandoned book based on an anti-child pornography essay published on his website in January 2002).

"After four months of investigation by officers from Scotland Yard's child protection group, it was established that Mr. Townshend was not in possession of any downloaded child abuse images." In a statement issued by his solicitor, Townshend said, "I accept that I was wrong to access this site, and that by doing so, I broke the law (in 1999), and I have accepted the caution that the police have given me." As a statutory consequence of accepting the caution, Townshend was entered on the Violent and Sex Offender Register for five years... Which expired in 2008, without further controversy.

Although many erroneously and retroactively read a scenario of gay prostitution into "Rough Boys" (1980) in light of the accusations, the video and lyrics tell a different story, mocking misbehaving street punks as lightweights...



Among Townshend's staunchest defenders was Who lead singer Roger Daltry, who made an entire career of understanding and interpreting Townshend's words... He believed he knew what to believe.

And during the years Pete was compiling material for his solo album "Empty Glass" (1980) and the Who's final two studio albums 1981's "Face Dances" and "It's Hard" (1982), he definitely had women on his mind... Specifically American actress Theresa Russell (only 12 years his junior), the inspiration for "Athena."