November 17, 2013
UK Man in Court in Uganda After Stolen Gay Images Published
Matthew Wexler READ TIME: 1 MIN.
A British man faces a court hearing in Uganda on Monday following the publication of images from his stolen laptop of him having sex with another man.
Bernard Randall, 65, faces charge of trafficking obscene material. Randall has called the charges, which carry a prison sentence of up to two years, "nonsensical." Also charged is Ugandan Albert Cheptoyek, who faces charges of committing an act of gross indecency and up to seven years in prison.
Randall's laptop computer was stolen from his home and then photos on the computer were sent to a Ugandan newspaper which published them. That led to the charges being pressed against him and Cheptoyek.
Uganda has harsh anti-gay laws and the country received international attention after a lawmaker proposed a bill that would mandate the death penalty for some gay acts.
Jane Okuo Kajuga, spokeswoman for Uganda's Directorate of Public Prosecutions, said the charges against Randall have nothing to do with his sexual orientation.
Matthew Wexler is EDGE's Senior Editor, Features & Branded Content. More of his writing can be found at www.wexlerwrites.com. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @wexlerwrites.