Taxi Driver Online

Child porn convict forced from panel
http://www.thisisstaffordshire.co.uk/news/Child-porn-convict-forced-panel/article-1739363-detail/article.html

A COUNCILLOR who was convicted of subscribing to a child porn website has abandoned plans to join two licensing panels.

Councillor Lee Wanger had intended to take up a place on Stoke-on-Trent City Council's licensing committee this month.

He became entitled to the seat as leader of the new Stoke-on-Trent Independent Group on the council, and had also planned to sit on the committee's licensing and registration panel.

But he has decided to rethink the move following objections from other members.

Fellow group member councillor Sheila Matthews will take up the licensing posts instead.

Some councillors had felt that it would be inappropriate to allow someone with a criminal conviction to sit on a quasi-judicial committee.

Mr Wanger, pictured, was convicted in January 2005 of paying $25 to subscribe to a child porn website in 1999, although he has always maintained his innocence.

He was fined £250 and ordered to sign the sex offenders' register for five years. The order expired last week. His conviction did not prevent him remaining as a Tunstall councillor and getting re-elected in 2006, although he voluntarily avoided duties which might bring him into contact with children.

But his decision to take up his two-member group's licensing committee seat prompted concerns among members.

Licensing and registration panel member councillor Joy Garner contacted the authority's head of legal services, Paul Hackney, asking him to intervene.

Mr Hackney made it clear to members that there is nothing in the council's constitution or in law to prevent Mr Wanger taking up a post on any committee, although he admitted it was "not a straightforward issue".

Mrs Garner said: "I was very surprised to see Lee's name on the membership list for the licensing committee and the licensing and registration panel.

"As The Sentinel has reported in the past, we have had to revoke licences for taxi drivers who have similar convictions to Mr Wanger.

"He has only just finished signing the sex offenders' register this month, and I do wonder what the public would think if he was allowed to sit on that committee.

"I cannot understand why Lee has put himself in this position."

Non-Aligned Group spokesman councillor Mick Salih also said that Mr Wanger should have thought twice about taking on a role which involved sitting in judgment on the city's licensees and taxi drivers.

He said: "The licensing committee is semi-judicial and the people who sit on it should not have any criminal convictions whatsoever in my opinion.

"I think it would be wrong for anyone who has had to sign the sex offenders' register to sit on that committee."

But Mr Wanger has accused political opponents of waging a malicious campaign against him in the run-up to the local elections.

He said: "Under the political balance rules my group is entitled to a seat on licensing, and I was going to take that seat. However, I am quite happy for Sheila to take my place. I'm not stepping aside because I've done anything wrong.

"My conviction is spent now and I have served my time and I don't want to drag everything up all over again.

"I cannot help feeling that this is just a malicious, politically-motivated attack, because I am up for re-election this year."

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Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
George Carlin

I personally wouldn't want somebody like that being a councillor full stop. It begs belief that this person was voted back in after his conviction

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Note to self: Just because it pops into my head does NOT mean it should come out of my mouth!!

Surely thats not his real name

I totally agree. The people who voted for him must be idiots.