What happened to Daniel Frogson? 21-year-old His Dark Materials actor sentenced for downloading child abuse content

Trigger warning: The article contains references to child abuse. Readers' discretion is advised.

His Dark Materials actor and BAFTA nominee, Daniel Frogson, has been found guilty of downloading hundreds of images of child abuse.

As reported by NME, the 21-year-old actor recently faced legal repercussions after being found guilty of downloading 'sickening' images of minors. The case being held at Nottingham Crown Court has shocked many of the actor's fans.

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Daniel Frogson has been given an eight-month jail sentence, suspended for 24 months

According to the hearing at Nottingham Crown Court as reported in Nottingham Live, Daniel Frogson had almost 850 explicit images of children as young as three years old on his devices. The police revealed that they had discovered 165 Category A images, the most severe category of indecent images, which typically depict adults se*ually abusing children, on the actor’s devices.

It was further discovered that Frogson's possession and viewing of these indecent images were not new. The actor has been viewing these shocking images since he was 17, as per NME.

Actor Daniel Frogson as seen in Joe All Alone. (Image via BBC)

According to The Mirror, Judge Steven Coupland addressed Daniel Frogson directly, expressing his disdain for the actor's actions and highlighting the aggravating factors of the case. He emphasized the sheer volume of the images found on Frogson's devices—848 in total—and the duration of his involvement, spanning several years.

Additionally, the judge rejected Frogson's claim that he did not have a se*ual interest in children, dismissing it as implausible in light of the evidence presented. As quoted in The Mirror, he said:

"The images I have seen are sickening. Each of them is a real child being abused for the pleasure of someone like you watching."

Judge Coupland continued:

"It is made worse because of the number of them—there were 848 indecent images—and it is made worse by the length of time you were doing it. You told the probation officer you do not have a se*ual interest in children. I don't accept that."

Daniel Frogson pleaded guilty to all charges and was handed an eight-month jail sentence suspended for 24 months.

During the hearing, the prosecutor, Nicola Patten, outlined the circumstances leading to Daniel Frogson's arrest. As reported in The Mirror, she revealed that while the actor was living in Nuthall, England, an IP address there was suspected of downloading child abuse pictures in early 2023. The address was traced down to Frogson, and he was arrested. Two of his devices were seized.

The prosecution went on to reveal more information:

"On them were 165 category A images, 88 category B images, and 592 category C images. There were also three banned pictures of children and search terms showing a s*xual interest in children. He was interviewed twice in 2023, and both times he answered 'no comment' to the question he was asked."

In the actor's defense, his lawyer, Lauren Manuel, focused on Frogson’s professional achievements, including his BAFTA nomination. She pointed out his lack of prior convictions and asked for clemency. She said:

"He did very well with his drama and acting and got a BAFTA nomination for Joe All Alone, where he played a young boy living at home dealing with drug use. He is currently working in construction while going for auditions, and over the past 12 months, he has put his life on hold, waiting for the result of this case."

As part of the suspended sentence, Daniel Frogson has been ordered to attend a 43-day s*x offender's rehab program. He has also been ordered to do 15 additional rehab sessions following the program. He has also been placed on a s*x offender register for ten years and given a five-year se*ual harm prevention order.

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More about Daniel Frogson

Daniel Frogson’s first acting role was in the TV series Joe All Alone, for which he was nominated for the Young Performer Award at British Academy Children's Awards (hosted by BAFTA) in 2018. His performance in His Dark Materials was also greatly appreciated by fans.