Raymond Cortis - Guilty Child Porn - ID ban lifted

ID ban lifted on child porn man

The Court of Appeal ruled that justice should not be concealed

A man convicted of child pornography offences can be named, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Raymond Cortis, of Upper Norwood, south London, pleaded guilty in December 2006 to 20 counts of making and possessing indecent images of children.

The banning order was made by Croydon Crown Court, on the grounds that naming 45-year-old Cortis would cause "significant harm" to his own children.

The Court of Appeal overturned the ban, ruling that justice should be open.

"In simple terms this represents the embodiment of the principle of open justice in a free country", Sir Igor Judge said, announcing the court's decision in London.

"An important aspect of the public interest in the administration of criminal justice is that the identity of those convicted and sentenced for criminal offences should not be concealed."

The appeal was brought by newspaper groups Trinity Mirror, Times Newspapers, News Group Newspapers and Newsquest.

The order that Cortis can be identified was discharged on Friday, but the actual decision was made last November.

Its activation was delayed to allow preparatory work with Cortis's two children, "to enable them better to cope with the public identification."

Cortis was given a three-year supervision order in April 2007, with a requirement that he attend a sex offender group work programme. He was also placed on the sex offenders registe