Cambodia: Briton jailed for ‘pornographic’ images of party game

[geovalin]

A British man arrested in Cambodia for producing pornography after photographing a party game was found guilty on Tuesday and sentenced to one year in jail.

 

 

Judge Um Chan Thol suspended ten months of the one-year sentence, ordering Daniel Jones to serve just one month and 22 days as his act of producing pornography “unintentional.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The accused said he unintentionally produced pornography that affects Khmer culture,” the judge said while reading his verdict, referring to Cambodia.

 

Jones was arrested along with nine other foreigners on Jan 25 after police raided a social event for backpackers in Siem Reap, home to the ruins of famed Angkor Wat temple. The event was called “Pub Crawl or Let’s Get Wet.”

Only Jones, who has had denied producing pornography, faced trial as the charges against the other nine foreigners were dropped and they were deported.

 

 

“There was no evidence against my client,” said his lawyer, Ouch Sopheaktra. “As a lawyer, I am not happy with this decision.”

Images of tourists released by Cambodian police. Source: Cambodia Police

Authorities said the group danced provocatively at a pool party and posted pictures of themselves dancing on social media.

 

Following the raid, Cambodian police released images online that appeared to show clothed and laughing tourists imitating sexual positions.

Cambodia is a conservative Buddhist country and has been clamping down on visitors posting revealing images of themselves at temple sites. Tourists showing cleavage or wearing skimpy clothes have been banned from the Angkor temple complex since August 2016.

In 2015, several tourists were arrested for taking naked photographs at the complex. They received suspended sentences and were expelled from Cambodia.

 

Additional reporting by Reuters

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 20/03

 

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2018/03/cambodia-briton-jailed-for-pornographic-images-of-party-game/#CoIQbFbKJz8GAC1u.97

[anon4637435435]

Culture really means history in my mind. How do you affect it without a time machine. Cultural traditions that are kept and held with great respect are just fairytales.... Get over yourselves and stop keeping the world down i say. Guy shouldnt have done what he did but it didnt hurt anyone physically and could only hurt someone mentally whos clearly suffering mental issues to begin with.

[Krataiboy]

More diversionary propaganda from the egregious outfit running "a conservative Buddhist country" which remains a magnet for pedophiles and sex perverts.

 

If they really want to protect Kymer culture, they need to expose and jail the many  Camodian parents who sell their kids along with their souls. 

[atyclb]

the pub crawl has been going on for ages there and takes place on the streets where the pubs are concentrated. it is a tourist magnet with very few locals unless they work there. typically the night time partiers are the same ones that paid the fee and visited the famous temple.

 

i would bet the local police, admin, see busting pub crawls as a new way to extract extortion money.  the negative publicity could hurt tourism there since pub street is the biggest and liveliest plave 7 days a week.