British historian charged with possession of child pornography in the US

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According to the reports, he possessed pornographic images of children under 12

Professor Henry Kamen, a renowned expert on Spanish history, faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted of the offence dating back to 2014.

According to court documents, the widely published author, who currently lives in Barcelona, possessed pornographic images of children under 12.

The US Department of Justice said in a statement: "A federal grand jury indicted Henry Kamen for possession of child pornography.

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Professor Henry Kamen is a renowned expert on Spanish history

A federal grand jury indicted Henry Kamen for possession of child pornography

US Department of Justice statement

"Kamen, a British citizen currently residing in Barcelona, Spain, is a well-known historian and professor of Spanish history, who resided within the Athens division of the middle district of Georgia.

"The grand jury alleged in the indictment that Kamen possessed child pornography in September of 2014.

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If convicted, Kamen faces up to 20 years of imprisonment

"If convicted of this charge, Kamen faces up to 20 years of imprisonment, and up to lifetime supervised release after being released from custody."

Kamen has lectured at universities throughout the UK, US and Spain and was most recently visiting professor at the University of Chicago, according to a profile by his literary agent.