The Tribune

ONE of the photographs whose publication on Facebook led to the arrest of Rodney Moncur has again been published online as Bahamians continue to protest over his treatment.

The photograph published on Facebook is a picture of the bruised buttocks of a man who claimed to have been beaten by police. After its publication by Mr Moncur, Police Commissioner Ellison Greenslade confirmed an officer had been charged in connection with that incident.

The photo originally appeared on Mr Moncur’s Facebook page alongside another – an autopsy photo reportedly showing Jamie Smith, a man who died in police custody last month. Mr Moncur has been charged with committing a “grossly indecent act” over the publication of the pictures.

He spent one night in custody after being charged before being released on bail.

Last week, Mr Greenslade issued a warning to the public not to post “lewd” or “obscene” pictures on social media – a warning that provoked a strong response online.

A Facebook group set up while Mr Moncur was in custody, named Free Rodney Moncur, gained more than 4,000 members and there was fierce debate in social media over the charges facing the justice of the peace, with some questioning why others who had posted material online they considered more offensive had not been charged.

Mr Greenslade said last week: “I send a clear message to all and sundry: have your fun on social media, send your messages to your friends; but this issue of posting lewd pictures of people, obscene pictures of people – whether they are alive or dead or injured – is an area that’s going to get you into grave problems.”

When asked if any charges have been made in connection with recent instances of nude photos or recordings being posted online, the commissioner said: “If we haven’t, then I intend to. I am going to pursue every single one of them.”

Mr Greenslade added: “There’s one thing to have the pictures – if it’s an adult, you are doing some things in the privacy of your own home as a consenting adult with some other adult – that has absolutely nothing to do with me, you, or the police department.

“However, where you are manipulated as a citizen to take those images and to post them – in any form – to the extent that they are now infringing upon the rights of a person and causing them undue harm and damage to their reputation, you are now on a very, very slippery slope.”

The commissioner called upon the public to report any instances to police and said the police are in a position today where they can “hold the line” – or uphold the law – as it relates to the internet.

Mr Greenslade added: “I sound that clarion call this morning and I demonstrate by action, how serious I am about that. I am prepared to speak to it again and again, until that message is clear. If you post on Facebook or any other social media anything that is contrary to law, that is obscene or indecent, and it infringes upon the rights of any other citizen, this commissioner and all members of the RBPF – I daresay all of us in public safety – are going to take action because we have a problem with that. We are not going to ignore it.”

After his release on bail, Mr Moncur challenged the police over photographs of the crime scene in the Nellie Brown-Cox murder case, which were released and which the commissioner said he would take action over in July 2011. Mr Moncur said: “To date, the Commissioner of Police has not reported to the public. And since it is officers of the Royal Bahamas Police Force who did that, what is he going to do about them? It is double standards.”