The Attorney General has referred the sentence given to convicted paedophile and internationally renowned artist Graham Ovenden to the Court of Appeal to determine whether it was "unduly lenient".
Ovenden, 70, was handed a 12 month prison sentence suspended for two years at Plymouth Crown Court last month after being convicted of six charges of indecency with a child and one allegation of indecent assault.
Judge Graham Cottle told the artist, from Barley Splatt near Bodmin Moor, that the guidelines allowed for a jail term of up to five years be he considered that he no longer posed a threat to children.
However, the sentence sparked an outcry from child abuse campaigners and the Attorney General Dominic Grieve QC MP, confirmed yesterday that the case should be referred to the Court of Appeal for review.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General's office said: "Having carefully reviewed this case, the Attorney General, Dominic Grieve QC MP, has decided to refer the sentence of Graham Ovenden to the Court of Appeal for review.
"The case will in due course be heard by three Court of Appeal judges who will decide whether or not the sentence is unduly lenient and whether they should increase the sentence."
After the sentencing, Ovenden, who studied under the so-called "Godfather of Pop-Art" Sir Peter Blake", maintained he had been the victim of a "witch hunt" and had "been through considerable hell".
Ovenden has art exhibited in galleries across the world but following his conviction, 34 prints by the artist were removed from the Tate Gallery's online collection.
It also came to light yesterday that the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service an allegation that the victims of the court case had been identified on the internet.
The law protects victims of sexual abuse and offers them lifetime anonymity.
A Met Police spokesman confirmed that an enquiry was under way but as yet no arrests had been made
