Bill Henson's nude photographs and community standards

The Australian Arts Law Centre says police will have to prove there has been a major change in community standards in order to successfully prosecute Sydney photographer Bill Henson.

New South Wales Police yesterday raided a art gallery in Sydney's east and removed a number of Henson's nude photographs of a girl under the age of 16.

Centre executive director Robyn Ayres says a court will now have to define the community standard of indecency.

"Bill Henson has for years and years been photographing children and women naked and and it's never been considered an issue of indecency," she said.

"So have community standards changed that much that it is no longer acceptable to see children or young people photographed naked?"