Nazril Irham Update: Indonesian Pop Singer Sentenced to 3 1/2 Years in Jail for Sex Tapes
(CBS/AP) Nazril Irham, one of Indonesia's best-known pop stars, was sentenced to 3 1/2 years in jail Monday after sex tapes with his celebrity girlfriends circulated on the Internet, violating the country's strict anti-pornography law.
Hundreds charged the gate of the courthouse in the city of Bandung after the verdict was read, yelling "Too light! Too light," as Irham, known to fans as "Ariel," sped off in an armored police car.
Two separate videos allegedly showing the 28-year-old in bed - in each, with a different celebrity girlfriend, found their way to the Internet in early June.
The first six-minute clip purportedly showed Irham in bed with his girlfriend, Luna Maya, a top model and actress who joined him at court Monday. She broke down in tears when the ruling was read aloud.
The second clip showed him with a former girlfriend, also a prominent model and television presenter, Cut Tari. The clips were spread on Facebook and YouTube and quickly distributed by mobile phone, prompting the government to try to impose an online filter on porn, which has been unsuccessful thus far.
Irham contends the tapes were stolen from his house and posted online without his consent, but presiding Judge Singgih Budi Prakoso said the pop star did nothing to prevent their widespread distribution.
Irham, a lead singer of the group Peterpan, the most popular band in the mostly Muslim nation, was the first celebrity to be charged under Indonesia's strict anti-pornography law, which was pushed through by extremists in 2008 despite strong opposition from the public and some members of government.
Prakoso sentenced the singer to 3 1/2 years in jail and ordered him to pay a $25,000 fine. The man who admitted to posting the tapes online was sentenced Monday in a separate trial to two years in jail.
"As a public figure, the defendant should be aware that fans might imitate his behavior," said Prakoso, who added that Irham did not show any remorse.
It is not yet clear if the women in the videos will also be punished.