Indonesian biggest pop star jailed for distributing sex videos online

An Indonesian court on Monday sentenced Nazril 'Ariel' Irham, one of the the country's best-known pop stars, to three-and-half years in prison for making and distributing sex videos on the internet.

Irham was jailed for circulating two homemade sex videos on the internet, one involving his current girlfriend and TV presenter Luna Maya, and the other with well known Indonesian soap opera actress actress Cut Tari.

The sex videos has stirred up widespread outrage in the predominately orthodox Muslim country after they were posted on the internet last June. The pop singer had earlier denied distributing the sex tapes on the internet, claiming that they were stolen, RTTNews reports.

Ariel was convicted of violating the Anti-Pornography Law and the Criminal Code in relation to three sex videos that feature a man resembling him having sex separately with TV presenters Cut Tari and Luna Maya, the singer's girlfriend. He was also fined Rp 250 million ($28,000).

The presiding judge, Singgih Budi Prakoso, said one of the factors affecting Ariel's sentence was his celebrity status, Jakarta Globe informs.