Japanese photographer arrested over photo festival images

Phnom Penh - Cambodian police have charged a Japanese photographer with pornography after they claimed he took pictures of sex workers in the tourist city of Siem Reap, local media reported Friday.

Go Takayama, a 28-year-old participant in a workshop at the Angkor Photo Festival, was arrested in late November and charged Thursday.

He faces up to one year in prison, said Siem Reap provincial prosecutor Ty Soveinthal.

'Making or publishing pornographic pictures is absolutely prohibited in Cambodia and is in violation of Cambodian law, so the court will make a decision on this next week,' Ty Soveinthal told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper.

The police said he had taken dozens of photographs of sex workers at a brothel in the city.

However Jessica Lim, who helped to coordinate the festival, said Takayama had not sought out sex workers, adding that the photographs depicted a married couple and contained no naked images.

She said Takayama was arrested immediately after leaving the building where the shoot of the couple had taken place.

'The couple, in some of the pictures, they're posing next to each other, as in a portrait shot, and in others they're standing there hugging each other,' she said.

'There's absolutely no nudity,' she said, adding that she had seen thumbnail shots of the images taken.

Takayama's photographs were taken as part of his involvement in a workshop at the week-long festival, which closed on November 27.

It remained unclear whether the charges could relate to different pictures Takayama may have shot at another time.

Phnom Penh - Cambodian police have charged a Japanese photographer with pornography after they claimed he took pictures of sex workers in the tourist city of Siem Reap, local media reported Friday. Go Takayama, a 28-year-old participant in a workshop at the Angkor Photo Festival, was arrested in late November and charged Thursday. He faces up to one year in prison, said Siem Reap provincial prosecutor Ty Soveinthal. 'Making or publishing pornographic pictures is absolutely prohibited in Cambodia and is in violation of Cambodian law, so the court will make a decision on this next week,' Ty Soveinthal told the Phnom Penh Post newspaper. The police said he had taken dozens of photographs of sex workers at a brothel in the city. However Jessica Lim, who helped to coordinate the festival, said Takayama had not sought out sex workers, adding that the photographs depicted a married couple and contained no naked images. She said Takayama was arrested immediately after leaving the building where the shoot of the couple had taken place. 'The couple, in some of the pictures, they're posing next to each other, as in a portrait shot, and in others they're standing there hugging each other,' she said. 'There's absolutely no nudity,' she said, adding that she had seen thumbnail shots of the images taken. Takayama's photographs were taken as part of his involvement in a workshop at the week-long festival, which closed on November 27. It remained unclear whether the charges could relate to different pictures Takayama may have shot at another time.