Latest news with #indecency
Malay Mail
05-08-2025
- Politics
- Malay Mail
Comedy and cosmetics land Egyptian TikTok influencers in jail under vague morality laws
CAIRO, Aug 5 — Egyptian authorities have arrested at least eight TikTok content creators in less than a week on vague charges including 'indecency', in what rights defenders warn is a sweeping crackdown mainly targeting women online. According to the interior ministry, the creators' videos contain 'obscene language', 'violate public morals' and constitute 'a misuse of social media'. But prominent advocacy group the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has accused authorities of seeking to control public discourse, urging them to 'stop prosecuting online content creators on vague, ethics- and class-based charges such as 'violating Egyptian family values''. The wave of arrests followed an online smear campaign and a complaint filed by 32 lawyers that alleged the videos 'posed a danger to young people', without explaining how. The ensuing crackdown 'is the largest since 2020', said Lobna Darwish, EIPR's gender and human rights officer. In 2020, Egyptian security forces launched a similar crackdown mainly against young women dancing and lip-syncing on TikTok, deeming the content overly suggestive. According to Darwish, the 'blatant class bias' at play this time was even clearer than before, with authorities going after women from lower-middle-class backgrounds who gained visibility and wealth through social media. In a statement, police said two content creators had 'confessed to publishing videos to increase views and generate financial profits', adding there was 'suspicion as to the source of their wealth'. Among those arrested, mostly at their homes, were women TikTokers known online as Suzy al-Urduniya, Alia Qamaron, Um Mekka, Um Sajda and Qamr al-Wekala. Three male creators known as Modahm, Shaker and Mohamed Abdel Aaty were also arrested. Their accounts, most of which are still online, feature a broad range of content including comedy sketches, lip-syncing videos, ads for low-cost beauty products and snippets of daily life in working class neighbourhoods. Disciplinarian state State media and popular talk show hosts have welcomed the crackdown. Pro-government pundit Ahmed Moussa said Sunday that the influencers' short-form video content was 'destroying society's values' — which Egyptian authorities have for decades professed to safeguard. According to Ahmed Badawy, head of parliament's telecommunications committee, TikTok's regional management has been given three months to 'improve its content in Egypt' before the government takes measures to block it. TikTok did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment on Badawy's ultimatum. In an interview with state-linked TV ExtraNews, Badawy hailed the recent arrests as an effective 'deterrent' against users streaming 'bad content'. But according to EIPR, the Egyptian state has taken to 'disciplining' citizens, even in their private lives, 'as part of a larger project to control the entire public sphere'. Egypt's legal code gives authorities broad discretion to prosecute morality-related offences, including 'inciting debauchery', 'violating public decency' and 'misusing social media' — charges that critics say are vague and therefore easy for courts to prosecute. EIPR says it has documented at least 151 individuals charged with 'violating family values' since 2020. In one recent particularly high-profile case, Egyptian-Italian belly dancer Linda Martino — who has more than two million followers on Instagram — was arrested in June on social media debauchery charges. Women, who are more vulnerable to scrutiny in patriarchal societies, 'were the easier target to start with, until social control became the norm and now targets male creators as well', EIPR's Darwish told AFP. — AFP
South China Morning Post
04-08-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Egypt arrests 8 TikTok creators on ‘indecency' charges in latest morality crackdown
Egyptian authorities have arrested at least eight TikTok content creators in less than a week on vague charges including 'indecency', in what rights defenders warn is a sweeping crackdown mainly targeting women online. According to the interior ministry, the creators' videos contain 'obscene language', 'violate public morals' and constitute 'a misuse of social media'. The advocacy group Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) has accused authorities of seeking to control public discourse, urging them to 'stop prosecuting online content creators on vague, ethics- and class-based charges such as 'violating Egyptian family values''. The wave of arrests followed an online smear campaign and a complaint filed by 32 lawyers that alleged the videos 'posed a danger to young people', without explaining how. The ensuing crackdown 'is the largest since 2020', said Lobna Darwish, EIPR's gender and human rights officer. In 2020, Egyptian security forces launched a similar crackdown mainly against young women dancing and lip-synching on TikTok, deeming the content too suggestive.
Associated Press
30-07-2025
- Associated Press
The leader of a secretive New Zealand commune admits abusing young church members
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The leader of an isolated and conservative Christian commune in New Zealand pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a dozen indecency and assault charges against women and girls who were members of the religious group. The admission of guilt from Howard Temple came three days into a trial at which he was accused of abusing members of the Gloriavale commune aged between 9 and 20 over a period of two decades. Complainants who appeared in the opening days of Temple's trial at the Greymouth District Court said he had touched or groped them while they were performing domestic duties, including in front of other Gloriavale members during mealtimes, Radio New Zealand reported. They told the court they were too scared to challenge the leader and feared being told the abuse was their fault. Temple, who is 85 and known as the Overseeing Shepherd of Gloriavale, earlier denied the two dozen charges, and was scheduled to face a three-week trial. But on Wednesday, his lawyer said the leader would admit to an amended list of 12 crimes. They included five counts of indecent assault, five of committing an indecent act and two of common assault, Radio New Zealand reported. Some were representative, which means the charges reflect multiple similar acts. Temple's lawyer didn't respond to a request for comment Wednesday. Howard Temple was charged with decades of abuse as leader of a remote, conservative sect The charges against the leader spanned 1998 to 2022 and involved nine complainants. Gloriavale, a community of about 600 people who live at a settlement on the South Island's remote West Coast, was founded in the 1970s and is mostly estranged from the outside world. Members share all property and money, don't speak to relatives who leave the group, and work and study within the commune. The sect is known in New Zealand for its conservative beliefs and doctrines. Women and girls wear navy-colored ankle-length dresses with white headdresses, adherents are required to have large families and only men can serve in leadership roles while their wives and children are subservient. Temple, who was born in the United States and served in the U.S. Navy before migrating to New Zealand, has been the leader at Gloriavale since his predecessor, Hopeful Christian, died in 2018. Christian was sentenced to four years in prison in 1995 on charges of indecent assault against a 19-year-old woman and successfully appealed against convictions on other sexual offending. Members said the group's rules enabled abuse The sect attracted attention during a broader official inquiry into decades of abuse at New Zealand's state and religious institutions. Its final report, published in 2024, found that Gloriavale had for decades prohibited members from reporting crimes to outside authorities. Several former members of the commune described in evidence how the rules gave rise to what they said was a culture of sexual and physical abuse. Less than a year before he first appeared in court, Temple gave evidence to the inquiry. In his testimony, he said his leadership and a 2020 police investigation into abuse at the commune had prompted 'a totally different attitude and way of thinking' in how leaders responded to sexual abuse complaints. Reporting processes had been inadequate before, he told the inquiry. But now all complainants were believed, Temple said, adding that he had reported alleged abusers to law enforcement himself. 'I will push and I will teach and I will expect it of these people in Gloriavale,' he said during the 2022 hearing. 'There will be no more abuse in Gloriavale.' He made a public apology in January for abuse by others in the commune, which was rejected by former members of the faith as insincere. Sentencing likely to come later this year Temple will next appear in court in August, when a sentencing date for his crimes will be set. Indecent assault carries a penalty of up to seven years in prison in New Zealand. The country's police welcomed his guilty pleas Wednesday. 'While it would not be appropriate for me to comment further ahead of sentencing, I'd like to acknowledge the victims,' Inspector Jaqueline Corner told the AP. 'This is a direct result of their willingness and courage to speak up.'
CBS News
24-07-2025
- CBS News
Former Fort Worth private school piano teacher sentenced to 10 years for indecency with students, prosecutors say
A former piano teacher at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth was sentenced Friday to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to five counts of indecency with a child by exposure, according to the Tarrant County District Attorney's Office. Trent Muse, 29, received what prosecutors described as the maximum sentence for repeatedly exposing himself to at least five students during private piano lessons in the 2022-2023 school year. In March, a group of parents sued Trinity Valley School over multiple reports of alleged sexual abuse by Muse, a former teacher whom they claim the school covered up for years. Multiple families alleged the school's negligence allowed more than a dozen young girls to be abused. According to the lawsuit, filed March 25, the incidents of sexual abuse happened over eight months during the 2022–23 school year, involving 16 girls ranging in age from 6 to 11 at the time of the alleged abuse. The lawsuit, which notes Muse was fired in April 2023, claims the school told parents that Muse left for personal reasons and "encouraged families to continue lessons with Muse off campus," and that there was "no cause for concern" regarding Muse's departure. Court documents show Muse was arrested in June 2024 and faces at least five counts of indecency with a child. Earlier this year, Trinity Valley School wrote in a statement: "Since the arrest of former piano teacher Trent Muse last year, Trinity Valley School has remained steadfast in its commitment to supporting our students and families and seeking answers as best we can. After the school received a report of an incident involving Mr. Muse in April 2023, he was promptly terminated from his position and a report was made to Child Protective Services. Upon learning of his June 2024 arrest, we immediately initiated a third-party investigation to understand the circumstances surrounding Mr. Muse's termination and the school's actions related to his departure. Out of respect for the privacy of those involved and due to ongoing legal proceedings, we are limited in what we can share publicly. However, we will continue to navigate this process with the compassion, sensitivity, and thoughtfulness our community deserves." CBS News Texas will continue to provide updates on the lawsuit as it progresses.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Jury to deliberate after Kiama MP's eight-week trial
A jury deciding the fate of a former NSW minister accused of assault are expected to begin deliberations on Wednesday morning. Gareth Ward, the NSW independent MP for Kiama, was charged in March 2022 with three counts of assault with act of indecency, an alternative charge of common assault against an 18-year-old man at Meroo Meadow in 2013, and intercourse without consent against a 24-year-old man in Potts Point in 2015. Since his arrest three years ago, the 43-year-old has denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty to all counts. In the Darlinghurst District Court on Tuesday, Judge Kara Shead SC finished her summing up of the case, and reminded the jury the onus of burden to prove each of the counts remains on the prosecution. After eight weeks of evidence, the jury are expected to begin their deliberations on Wednesday morning. In her closing address, Crown prosecutor Monika Knowles told the jury it is 'not a coincidence' that two men came forward with similar allegations. However, defence barrister David Campbell SC told the jury the crown had not discharged the burden it has in either of the two complainant's cases. The barrister urged the jury to find the MP not guilty on all counts. Mr Ward is alleged of assaulting a man, who had just turned 18 at the time of the alleged assault at Mr Ward's South Coast home in February 2013. It is also alleged the MP sexually assaulted another man – who was 24 at the time – at his Potts Point apartment in September 2015. The 43-year-old was charged by police in March 2022. Beginning his political career in 2011, Mr Ward was a councillor on the Shoalhaven Council before becoming the Liberal member for Kiama in 2011, a seat he has held since. He also held the role of NSW Minister for Families, Communities and Disability Services for just over two years.
