Breaking: Briton arrested in Siem Reap porn case gets suspended sentence

Niem Chheng | Publication date 20 March 2018 | 15:58 ICT

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Daniel Jones is escorted by Cambodian prison guards at a court in Siem Reap on Tuesday March 20, 2018. The Briton received a one-year suspended sentence for “producing pornography”. AFP

A Briton charged with “producing pornography” after officials busted a Siem Reap pool party he allegedly organised received a one-year suspended sentence from the Siem Reap Provincial Court on Tuesday.

The court handed the Briton a one-year sentence for producing pornography – the maximum sentence for the charge – but then suspended it to the one month and 22 days Jones had been in prison, said Sourng Sophea, Daniel Jones’ lawyer.

“My client did not commit the crime that he should have been sentenced and put in prison. It depends on him whether he will appeal or not,” he said. He said the court had not ordered Jones’ deportation.

British national Daniel Jones, shown here in Cambodia in an undated photo, received a suspended sentence from the Siem Reap Provincial Court Tuesday on charges of 'producing pornography.' Supplied

Court spokesman Yin Srang could not be reached. Siem Reap Provincial Prison Director Phean Chovron said he had yet to receive the court order for Jones' release.

Jones, 30, was one of nearly 80 people detained by anti-human trafficking police at the pool party in January on accusations of “pornographic dancing”.

All were eventually released except for Jones. No evidence has been produced so far to support the pornography charges, and a local official has admitted that the group organised parties and pub crawls in the area, but “did not produce pornographic pictures”.