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POLICE say they expect to lay charges after seizing more than 20 photographs from a controversial exhibition in Sydney that features images of naked 12- and 13-year-old girls.

Rose Bay Local Area Commander Allan Sicard said NSW Police expected to prosecute over the images by artist Bill Henson, which were to go on display at the Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery in Paddington last night.

"Police are investigating this matter and it is likely that we will proceed to prosecution on the offence of publish an indecent article under the Crimes Act," he said, but would not specify who was likely to be charged.

Last night Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called the images "revolting", while Opposition Leader Brendan Nelson said they "violate Australian values".

Henson and the gallery have defended the work as art. "Bill Henson is one of Australia`s leading contemporary artists and is internationally respected," they said.

"His works are held in every leading art institution in Australia and are included in the collections of a number of the world`s most prestigious art museums."

Earlier, Henson defended his work as seeking to explore "something which is absolutely inviolate and unknowable". He told The Australian: "You can`t control the way individuals respond to the work."

Mr Rudd has said the images have no artistic value. "Kids deserve to have the innocence of their childhood protected," he said on Channel 9.

"Whatever the artistic view of the merits of that sort of stuff - frankly I don`t think there are any - just allow kids to be kids."

Dr Nelson said: "This photographic exhibition, from what I have seen and what I have been advised, violates the things for which we stand as Australians and indeed as parents."

Judy Annear curated a exhibition of Henson`s work at the Art Gallery of NSW in 2005-2005 which was seen by 65,000 people. She said there was not a single complaint.

"Bill`s work isn`t the problem here, it`s just a convenient kind of whipping boy. I couldn`t work with Bill if I thought he was abusing children," she said.

The Roslyn Oxley9 gallery`s manager Amanda Rowell called him a "master". "It has never been like this before. This is no different to any other exhibition he`s had and he`s had many exhibitions here," she said.

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