A former civil servant who wrote an internet article imagining the kidnap, rape and murder of the pop group Girls Aloud was cleared of obscenity today.

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Darryn Walker, 35, faced prosecution after writing a 12-page blog on a fantasy pornography site.

The Crown Prosecution Service took action, believing that the group's young fans could easily have stumbled across it while searching the internet for material about the band.

But a report for the defence by an information technology expert found the article was not easily accessible, and could only be discovered by those looking for such specific material.

Mr Walker, of Mowbray Street, South Shields, Tyneside, walked free from Newcastle Crown Court after he was cleared.

The court heard that he had lost his job since he was arrested last year.

The defendant, who wore a smart grey suit, only said: "No comment" as he left court.