Girls Aloud slay fantasist cleared

NEWCASTLE, England, June 29 (UPI) -- A British blogger who fantasized the kidnapping, rape and killing of the pop group Girls Aloud did not break obscenity laws, a court has ruled.

Darryn Walker, 35, of Tyneside, England, was cleared Monday by the Newcastle Crown Court after facing prosecution for the article, which appeared on a fantasy pornography site, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Prosecutors had charged that the young fans of Girls Aloud could have easily stumbled across the article, but defense attorneys said the article was not easy to find and could only be discovered by specifically searching for the material, the newspaper said.

Walker had no comment as he left the courtroom, but his lawyer, Tim Owen, told reporters, "The effect of this prosecution on Mr Walker has been devastating. He has lost his job and has not managed to get further employment. Hopefully he can now recommence his life."

Owen said Walker wrote the article last year "as an adult celebrity parody and was only meant to be for an audience of like-minded people" and not the group's fans, the Telegraph said.