By RASHAD ROLLE
Tribune Staff Reporter
rrolle@tribunemedia.net
EDUCATION Minister Jeffery Lloyd has decried a viral video depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, saying the government must pursue punitive sanctions against people who spread such videos.
His statement in the House of Assembly yesterday came after three separate videos depicting minors in vulnerable situations went viral this week.
Mr Lloyd did not say which video he was referring to but he appeared to be alluding to film of a man begging a high school female student for sex after she was caught seemingly performing a sexual act with another man.
The video shows the girl pulling up her underwear behind a building as another man seemingly in his 20s stands next to her.
The man recording the video tries to blackmail the girl, threatening to post the video if she failed to fulfil his wishes.
Yesterday, Mr Lloyd, pictured right, said police are investigating the matter. He said: “It is disturbing to me as the Education Minister in The Bahamas the insensitivity and the abject disrespect that is exercised in our circumstance here in the Bahamas with regard to minor children who have now become the subject and object of ridicule, disparagement and offence.
“There is the Electronics Communications and Transactions Act which speaks more specifically to commercial matters but it also has a provision, I think, in section 20 that speaks to the transmission of information by electronic means which could be considered to be defamatory. I am sure that our government is going to at some point apprehend the necessity of whatever means may be necessary to protect... from incalculable harm which as you know and I know can extend well into posterity in their lives.”
“The circumstances which I presume now is known to this community and this assembly has exposed the identity of this individual with such a graphic representation that it is really impossible for her to hide and for the persons related and associated with her now to be mortally offended by this issue. I just wish to appeal to our Bahamian community, to our adults in that community, to please with the great facility of discretion exercise sense and sensitivity to our young people.”
“If an adult wishes to expose themselves and parade themselves before the electronic world in a manner which visits ridicule and abuse upon them that’s their business but children must enjoy the protection of the civil society in which those children are required to exist.”
“I am disturbed as I become more aware, I am now advised and I wish to advise this House that the circumstances attracted the attention of the Royal Bahamas Police Force and again it is a deeply disturbing circumstance to her family and to everyone affiliated and associated, the entire school body. The entire school body is now upset, if not traumatised - especially in a school environment which has been unfortunately the subject of some public observation with regard to other unfortunate incidents of this type.
“I invite our government to consider punitive sanctions for persons who knowingly record via electronically and display or transmit to the wider world community matters, incidents, circumstances, acts which can bring an individual’s life into endless and probably unimaginable disrepute.”
Comments
bogart 5 years, 5 months ago
......DUH.....AS DISPICABLE....AS THE OFFENSIVE ACT BY SCHOOLCHILDREN IN UNIFORM.....ACTUALLY BLATENTLY EXPOSES......AN OFFENSIVE CRIMINAL ACT.........EDUCATING THE EDUCATION MINISTRY OF DA CURRENT GOINGS ON...BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN VOYEURS.....AND ....WHAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AS AS EVIDENCE TO CRIMINAL ACT.......!!!!!...AND FIRE ON DERE GUBBERMINT FEET TO TAKE CURRENT CORRECTIVE ACTION....!!!!!!!!!!!!!......stead of denials...obfustation....ignorant.. to PUBLIC.....on current goings on........behaviour patterns...illegal....uneducated.......current....dese showings are invaluable to have action soonest taken to correct....instead of TRYING TO PROHIBIT AN RESTRICT CRIMINAL EVIDENCE.....schoolchildren...in uniforms....!!!!!!!!!.....
B_I_D___ 5 years, 5 months ago
This is a slippery slope...while I do not agree with spreading these videos around like wildfire, sadly, unless something gets enough exposure, as it does in the viral videos, the police won't act. If no one sees it, it is more easily swept under the rug and ignored. If it's in your face, there is a chance that action may be taken, and whatever reforms that need to be made to better our society MIGHT have a chance to get some backing and initiative. It's a tricky one...
joeblow 5 years, 5 months ago
which means videos of concern should be uploaded to a police site for further investigation and not for public consumption!
B_I_D___ 5 years, 5 months ago
I agree, especially when there are minors involved...but will you ever see anything done about it if it is not aired in public and the ensuing public outcry. That's my ONLY possible spin on it is that it forces the polices hand to act and act QUICKLY. It also slaps the politic in the face and hopefully serves as a wake up call to prompt reform.
bahamianson 5 years, 5 months ago
it's useless.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 5 months ago
What if its a 16, 17, 18, or 19 year old in school uniform???? ......... Age of sexual consent is 16. A person can legally be in school until he/she turns 20.
The school uniform may be embarrassing to the school, student and family, but the girl can still have sex - legally ............... Now if it is some other matter, like blackmail or school time on campus, well that is another can of worms to deal with. Teens having sex in school is nothing new ............ It's been happening since coon days. Teachers and students know about it.
yeahyasee 5 years, 5 months ago
SPOT on.
John 5 years, 5 months ago
The new age of technology where persons may be doing something that is ‘normal ‘ like disciplining a child or the child may be having a ‘usual ‘ tantrum. A snippet of the activity is recorded and ‘shared’ with someone who is amused by it and decides to post it on Facebook. The video goes viral and the content mixed with public opinions and sentiment becomes overblown and begs for action on behalf of authorities. So now the public must think even whilst the adrenaline is flowing and the excitement is there. A picture or video leaving a cell phone, be it a smart one or a bubbler, is like a bullet leaving a gun. You cannot call it back and you can never be sure of the effect or the damage it can do. And common sense must prevail. Every incident does not have to be recorded and every incident that is recorded doesn’t have to be shared.
sheeprunner12 5 years, 5 months ago
Bahamians generally have few filters with these new 21st century gadgets
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