MONDAY JANUARY 13TH 2003 – 9.40pm EST

HOST: Here now to talk a little bit more about these events is writer and producer Martin Lewis who has known Pete Townshend for more than thirty years. And he’s been kind enough to join us now from Los Angeles. Mr. Lewis –Thank you for joining us this evening.

LEWIS: That’s okay.

HOST: How is it you know Pete Townshend?

LEWIS: I got to know Pete Townshend when I was working in the music industry in the early 1970’s and I’ve stayed friends with him all these years. And indeed in 1979 I had the privilege of producing him when he became the first rock musician to make a stand for human rights. He did a big benefit concert for Amnesty International. Typical of Pete Townshend’s charitable instincts and pioneering. He was doing that before anybody else.

HOST: And indeed those concerts became huge. They became known as the “Secret Policeman’s Balls” I think. And he was always involved in those wasn’t he?

LEWIS: Absolutely and everybody from Sting – Bono – Peter Gabriel – Bruce Springsteen always say “Well if it wasn’t for Pete Townshend we wouldn’t have got involved in Amnesty International.” As usual – Pete Townshend has always been in the forefront of good deeds.

HOST: Alright then with that experience behind you – what do you make of these stories coming out of South London now?

LEWIS: I’m very sad to see the way that they’ve been played up by the media. All that has happened is that the police took him into custody in order to question him. He’s been released on bail. There have been no charges made whatsoever.

Pete Townshend has an incredibly great reputation for integrity. He has been in the entertainment industry for thirty-eight years – and it’s not possible to be in this business that long doing bad things unless there are whispers. There’s never been a whisper about Pete Townshend’s behavior in this area because he’s completely not that type of person.

HOST: In fact he says he’s researching a book about his own life which may include some sexual abuse. And he incorporated that into his creative work. Wasn’t Tommy - the little character in… you know “Tommy” the musical - supposed to have been abused by an uncle?

LEWIS: Indeed so yes – the character in “Tommy” had been the victim of sexual abuse and a lot of his other work has been about children and families where there has been dysfunction and abuse. And he has been an outspoken person in terms of raising funds and awareness of the dangers of child abuse. He has been on his website for the last two years talking to his fans saying how dangerous child pornography is. This case is the equivalent of a vigilante gamekeeper being accused of poaching. He’s been speaking out AGAINST child pornography and by a technicality the police have found his name and gone to him. But that does not mean that he’s somebody who has been downloading child pornography for his personal use whatsoever.

HOST: Well he insists that he’s not guilty of this. Still – it must be troubling for him. Apparently according to reporters there in Surrey where he lives - he left in a car lying down on the back seat with a coat over him to try and hide his presence there.

LEWIS: Well one doesn’t blame him. This is a man who has led a blameless life for thirty-eight years in public and for fifty-seven years. He is somebody who is consistent…. He was married in 1968. He’s been separated from his wife - yet she was the first person to come out and say (about the accusation) “This is not Pete Townshend.”

Roger Daltrey who has known him longer even than his wife said: “These are not the kind of actions of Pete Townshend. You can’t know this person for over forty years and not be aware of some tendency like that.”

So I think… Due process. Let’s see exactly what happens. I think this is a very, very sad thing that the media is even spreading it as they are doing. This is a man of integrity and his work speaks for itself.

HOST: Well – and you speak eloquently on his behalf. Martin Lewis thank you for joining us this evening with those insights based on your personal friendship.

LEWIS: Thank you.