The publisher and two top journalists of the Nation newspaper in Barbados appeared in court yesterday on a criminal charge of publishing an indecent photograph of two minors engaged in a sexual act.
The Nation Publishing Company Ltd's publisher Vivian-Anne Gittens, editor-in-chief Roy Morris and news editor Sanka Price have been released on $5,000 bail and ordered to hand over their travel documents after appearing before magistrate Wayne Clarke, District A Criminal Court No 1, in Bridgetown, hours after they surrendered to police.
The charges stemmed from the October 26 publication of an article and accompanying photograph based on the Facebook posting of a cellphone video of two students having sex in a classroom. According to a report in the Nation yesterday, there was public outcry from some members of the public questioning the failure to monitor students and the breach of the no-cellphone rule at school. Others criticised posting of the video and those who continued to circulate it on the Internet. The newspaper was also lambasted for its publication.
All three were charged under the Protection of Children Act and were not required to plead to the indictable matter. They faced the possibility of five years in prison if convicted of the offence. Attorneys Alair Shepherd, QC, and Ezra Alleyne are representing the Nation officials.Yesterday, two boys, one 15, the other 16, went to court on charges of taking indecent photographs of children in relation to the same article. They were released on $10,000 bail to return to court on November 27.
Price was the author of the article which was accompanied by the offending photograph.The matter has been adjourned to March 11, 2014.The Nation News is a subsidiary of One Caribbean Media, the parent company of the Trinidad Express and CCN TV6.
The charges
Vivian-Anne Gittens, 62, is accused of, being an employee of the Nation Publishing Company on October 26 with responsibility as publisher, "did show" an indecent photograph of two 14-year-old minors.Roy Morris, 52, was charged with, being an employee of the Nation Publishing Company with responsibility as editor-in-chief on October 26 "did show" an indecent photograph of two children under the age of 18 years, to wit 14 years.
Sanka Price, 53, the author of the story, was charged with, being a journalist employed by the Nation on October 26, he "did show" an indecent photograph of the two minors.