Hospital Porn Star Charged With Computer Crime Act

SAMUT SONGKRAM — A porn actress who filmed herself having sex with a partner in a hospital bathroom last week has been charged with violating the Computer Crime Act, which carries a penalty of five years in prison.

The actress, who is known by her nickname Nong Bow, posted the video on social media last week.

The director of Somdej Phra Buddha Loetla Hospital in Samut Prakarn province, Sutthipong Sirimai, met with police on 19 August and urged them to take legal action against Nong Bow, citing that the porn star's actions negatively affected the reputation of the hospital.

Yesterday police confirmed that Nong Bow has been charged under the Computer Crime Act, which criminalises any action carried out via a computer system that defames others, transmits pornography, spreads false information, or threatens national security.

The actress surrendered herself to the police on 20 August and confessed to committing the lewd act at the hospital bathroom. She also apologised to the hospital director for her "reckless" actions.

Violating the Computer Crime Act carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a 100,000 baht fine.

The law was passed by Thailand's post-coup government in 2007. Critics say the law's sweeping scope is regularly abused to restrict freedom of speech.

In 2009, the editor of the online news site Prachatai was charged under the Computer Crime Act, among other laws, for comments that a reader posted on the website's forum that were critical of the monarchy. 

Police argued that the editor, Chiranuch Premchaiporn, failed to delete the comments "in a timely manner." The court eventually sentenced her to a suspended eight month prison term.

In December last year, the Royal Thai Navy sued an online news site in Phuket province with the Computer Crime Act for reprinting a Reuters article that accused some members of the navy force of collaborating with human traffickers in Thailand's southern coast.