A convicted paedophile sparked outrage after complaining there were not enough new digital television channels being beamed into his prison cell.
Sick Kevin Skaith, 43, is currently serving a three-and-half year sentence at HMP Whatton, Notts., for possessing nearly 120,000 sick images of children.
Skaith, who is on the sex offenders’ register for life, complained the prison’s choice of television channels are all about ”soap, sex and sport”.
The Ministry of Justice added Sky Sports News, ITV3, Film 4 and The Music Factory to the five terrestrial channels available to prisoners in their cells.
Skaith complained the new digital channels are designed to “keep the noisier element happy” with a diet of EastEnders, football and raunchy movies and music videos.
In a letter penned to the prisoners’ national newspaper ‘Insidetime’, Skaith demanded access to BBC4, BBC Parliament and UKTV channel Yesterday, formerly UK History.
He wrote “It would appear that the introduction of digital TV to the prison estate is to be targeted at the stereotypical convict, whose sole interests consist of sport, soap and sex.
”It is clear that the four additional channels we are to receive have been selected to keep the noisier element of the prison system happy, whilst avoiding the damaging tabloid headlines of a multi-channel ‘life of luxury’ enjoyed in prison.”
Former newspaper publisher Skaith, from Lincoln, Lincs., is halfway through his jail term for possessing 119,688 child porn images and nine counts of making indecent photos of children.
The serial pervert was also jailed for three-and-a-half years in May 2005 after downloading 70,000 indecent images of children from the internet.
He added: ”There are several available channels that meet the criterion of being ‘educational’, and would be welcomed by the ‘non-average criminal
”As a prisoner who picks up a book rather than a TV remote, I would welcome a channel like Yesterday or BBC4.
”And surely the inclusion of BBC Parliament into a system that offers limited choice would increase the likelihood of MPs’ work being viewed and, ultimately, their contributions to the country acknowledged.”
Claude Knights, director of children’s charity Kidscape, said Skaith had forfeited his right to certain choices and it was ”inappropriate” to complain.
She said: ”I think this is rather churlish. It’s not a hotel, it’s not a leisure centre. There’s a reason why he is in custody.
”I would expect someone that is in custody due to crimes of this kind to have very strict monitoring of their viewing.
”Watching TV is not exactly a human right but he has forfeited his freedom of choice of entertainment. He is in there because he chose to find entertainment in a way that is totally unacceptable to society.”
A Prison Service spokesperson said: “Access to TVs is a condition of acceptable behaviour. TVs can and will be removed from prisoners whose behaviour is deemed unacceptable.
“Television sets purchased for in-cell prisoner use are paid for by prisoners at the weekly rental fee of £1.
”The average wage for an employed prisoner is under £10 a week. There is no public money used to finance the purchase of in-cell televisions.
”Restrictions on the televisions mean that only a limited number of channels are available.”
