Thimphu district court’s bench II sentenced a man to a year in prison and imposed Nu 101,250 compensation on January 26 for posting an obscene photograph on social media.

The 36-year-old convict, Yeshey Nidup from Bumdar of Metsho gewog, Lhuentse, posted a topless photograph of his former girlfriend on Facebook in September last year. The woman reported it to the police.

Office of the Attorney General (OAG) charged the man to court for computer pornography and submitted that the man compensates the woman.

The court sentenced the man for violating section 476 of the Penal Code of Bhutan 2004, which states that a person would be guilty of computer pornography if one publishes and distributes an obscene photograph or picture on the computer or over the Internet.

The penal code grades the offence as a misdemeanour with a prison term ranging from one to three years.

As his sentence is compoundable, he can pay Nu 42,625 in lieu of the remaining prison term after deducting the 19 days he remained in custody.

The court also ordered the man to pay the national wage for two years and three months as compensation for the irreparable damage caused to the woman.

The woman’s statement to court stated that she and the man lived together in Kabisa, Thimphu after they met through Facebook but she left to Trashigang for some work.

She submitted to the court that she then learnt that he was married after which she blocked him on her Facebook and WeChat accounts and rejected his calls.

It was ruled that he posted the pictures she sent him on social media with defamatory comments out of frustration.

The judgment stated that Yeshey Nidup submitted to the court that he regretted his actions.

Tshering Palden