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Steps singer Ian 'H' Watkins has recieved an apology from E! Online after a photo of the Steps star appeared on an article about shamed Lostprophets frontman, Ian Watkins.
'H' was the subject of torrents of abuse on social media networks after E! Online mistakenly posted a picture of him in place of Ian Watkins. Adding to the confusion, the two share a name, age and country of origin, which led to abuse on the internet, eventually forcing him to issue a statement saying that he wasn't the same Watkins on trial for the heinous crimes.
At a court hearing in London a judge heard how E! Entertainment Television, "reported the guilty plea of Ian Watkins of the Lostprophets in an article on E! Online". Following on from the announcement "the defendant mistakenly included a photograph of the claimant, Ian 'H' Watkins of Steps, instead of Ian Watkins of the Lostprophets."
Today @eonline have publicly apologised in a statement read in court for using my picture. I'm pleased this has been resolved .....
— Ian H Watkins (@Ianhwatkins) December 19, 2013
It was recognised however that website quickly registered their mistake replacing the photo with the correct one and adding an editors note saying "This story was originally published with an image of Ian "H" Watkins of the band Steps rather than Ian Watkins of the Lostprophets. E! Online deeply regrets this error."
As a result defending solicitor Timothy Pinto acknowledged everything highlighted by the prosecution, saying that E! "apologises for the distress and damage caused by the publication of the photograph".
Meanwhile the real Ian Watkins was sent to jail yesterday (18 December, 2013) for a total of 35 years with a judge stating that his crimes "plumbed new levels of depravity".
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