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Boy George found guilty of imprisoning Norwegian male escort
Paul Cheston, Courts Correspondent05.12.08
Boy George was told today he faces being jailed after being convicted of taking a male escort prisoner.
The 47-year-old singer, charged under his real name George O'Dowd, was found guilty of handcuffing his victim to a bedroom wall and hitting him with a chain.
George was convicted of false imprisonment by the jury at Snaresbrook crown court. He will be sentenced later.
George's friends and fans gasped in horror and sobbed in the public gallery as he was warned he is likely to be jailed. Judge David Radford said: "I do think custody is the more likely option.
'The fact I am asking for a pre-sentence report is no indication that I have decided this matter can be dealt with by a non-custodial sentence. I do not want any false expectations created."
Audun Carlsen, 29, had posed for "erotic" photos at George's Shoreditch apartment in April last year. But the atmosphere turned sour and the singer punched and slapped him.
Scandinavian Mr Carlsen was so scared that when he managed to escape he fled in his underwear, leaving his clothes, keys, phone and wallet.
The handcuffs were eventually sawn off by fire fighters at the police station. During the trial, the jury heard that the former frontman of Culture Club had met the HIV-positive escort on the internet website Gaydar.
Mr Carlsen went to George's flat in January and they did a series of erotic photo-shoots together. The escort said George performed a sex act on him for about "five seconds before I said no." When he returned three months later, George shackled him to a hook on the wall.
George told police: "I absolutely admit I had him in handcuffs, but I was certainly not going to kill him."
The pop star insisted he had only wanted to hold his victim while he found out whether he had been interfering with his Apple Mac computer on the previous visit to the flat.
His barristers are now considering an appeal. The case was adjourned for sentence on January 16.
Reader views (7)
Would It be a case if it concerned another not so famous person ? I don't think so. George only admitted to put the handcuffs on, he didn't beat the man. They were both on drugs at the moment !! So both in heaven, but also both as guilty? (George said the drugs farewell again last december.) Maybe too late...but he will survive.
- William, Netherlands
Consenting adults and all that, but if this guy was 'working' as a prostitute while HIV positive, he should be put out of circulation too, surely? Funny that the first situation was so unpleasant he went back three months later.
- Mdj, Leyton, e10 london
He's a disgrace.
- Victoria, Cypress, USA
- Sandy, London
We know what you have in your record collection!!
- Frank, Home Counties, England
Is that the real reason why he was neglecting his job of attacking Labour financial policies?
- Arthur Atkins, uxbridge UK
If they send Boy George to prison, they could increase his punishment by making him listen to his awful records.
- John, London
The thing is , this guys really tried to hurt him and really tried to make him cry!
- Sandy, London
