Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia (AP) — A British man received a suspended one-year sentence Tuesday from a Cambodian court that found him guilty of producing pornography by posting photos on social media of sexually suggestive dancing at a party with other foreigners.
Daniel Jones, 31, could be freed Wednesday after serving one month and 22 days in prison, with the rest of his sentence term suspended, said Yin Srang, the Siem Reap provincial court spokesman. He said Jones may stay in custody if the prosecutor files an appeal within one day.
Ten foreigners — five from the United Kingdom, two from Canada, and one each from Norway, the Netherlands and New Zealand — were detained in late January when police raided the commercially organized party at a rented villa in Siem Reap and found people dancing by a swimming pool. The town in northwestern Cambodia is near the Angkor Wat temple complex that draws millions of tourists.
Police said those detained in the raid had been "dancing pornographically" and offended Cambodian standards of morality. The nine other foreigners were released on bail and deported last month, after which the charges against them were dropped.
In the trial's one day of testimony last Thursday, Jones told the court he did not know the pictures he posted on Facebook would offend Cambodian culture.
"I don't understand about Cambodian law and I am very sorry," he said. He denied that anyone had sex or used drugs at the Jan. 25 party.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
