According to local sources, police in Indonesia have arrested a man who has been accused of streaming a pornographic film on a public billboard.
It is alleged that the man hacked into the billboard in order to play the film. Police say that the 24-year-old man has admitted to the crime and could be facing 6 years behind bars, according to the BBC.
Shocking footage broadcast to public for five minutes
The suspect is an IT analyst, who left motorists shocked at the sight of the porn. Video from a Japanese porn film was broadcast on a public billboard in South Jakarta last week.
Witnesses report that the film continued for 5 minutes before authorities shut the screen down by cutting the power. However footage had already been filmed by smartphone users in the area, and news spread like wildfire on social media.
The 24-year-old was arrested at his place of work. He allegedly saw login details posted on the billboard before carrying out the prank.
Indonesia subject to strict internet censorship
“The suspect claims he worked alone,” Jakarta Police Chief Muhammad Iriawan told news agency AFP. “But we are still investigating whether he was working alone, whether he had a particular motive or whether he was just fooling around.”
Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country. Access to websites that contain pornography is blocked, while other sites like Tumblr and Vimeo have also been blocked in the past for displaying adult content.
The police chief told AP that the suspect could be charged under one of two laws. The first, the Electronic Transaction Law, can carry a prison sentence of up to 6 years or a $77,000 fine. The second, the Pornography Law, can lead to up to 12 years in jail.
Jakarta has a problem with advertising boards. Authorities in the capital have removed 29 of the boards in the last few weeks due to issues with their permit or license.
Last week a pedestrian bridge collapsed in an incident that has been blamed on a billboard. This has led authorities to consider a ban on the screens in any places where they could constitute a risk to public safety.
