How Serious Police Probe Celebrities over Sex Videos

Three Indonesian celebrities who allegedly appeared in seks videos posted on the Internet will be questioned for possible breaches of a new anti-pornography law, police said Wednesday. Two explicit clips widely circulated online this week appear to show popular singer Nazril Ariel having sex with models and television presenters Luna Maya, his current girlfriend, and Cut Tari, his ex-girlfriend.

Chief police detective Ito Sumardi said the celebrities would be questioned about how the clips had appeared on the Internet. “We will question them to find out about the clips and how the videos were circulated in public,” Sumardi told reporters.

Maya is a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations World Food Programme and has appeared in advertisements with Ariel for a soap made by Anglo-Dutch food and cosmetics giant Unilever. Tari meanwhile endorses Sharp air conditioners.

A spokesman for Unilever said the soap ads had been cancelled this week but denied the move was connected to the sex tapes. Producing or distributing sexually explicit material carries a maximum penalty of 12 years’ jail under the tough anti-pornography law passed in the mainly Muslim country in 2008. Muslim lawmakers have said the videos underline the need for tighter controls of the Internet in the country of 240 million people.

“There should be a heavy punishment for this crime,” Communication and Information Minister Tifatul Sembiring said on his Twitter micro-blog account. A spokesman said Vice President Boediono was concerned about the effect the videos would have on young people.

The scandal has been among the top worldwide trending topics on Twitter under the “Peterporn” tag, a reference to Ariel’s band, Peterpan. Several pages supporting Ariel have also appeared on social networking site Facebook. (kompas)