Ten foreigners have been arrested in Cambodia on charges of pornography after they were caught dancing suggestively during a private party.
The group – five Britons, two Canadians, and one person each from the Netherlands, Norway and New Zealand – were arrested last Thursday during a police raid of a villa in the northeastern village of Siem Reap, home to the famous ruins of the ancient Angkor Wat temple. Prosecutors say the 10 have been charged with producing pornographic pictures and other materials, and face at least one year in jail if convicted.
Sorung Sophea, an attorney representing the 10 jailed Westerners, says the group was clad in swimsuits and drinking alcoholic beverages by a swimming pool, but insists none of the photos show them undressed or engaging in sex. Sophea said the group should be deported instead of facing criminal charges.
Seventy-seven other people arrested during the raid were released with a warning.
10 Westerners Facing Pornography Charges in Cambodia
In this file photo dated Jan. 27, 2018, issued by Cambodian National Police, a group of foreigners stand after they were arrested for "dancing pornographically" at a party in Siem Reap town, near the country's famed Angkor Wat temple complex.