A 63-year-old man from New Magwegwe in Bulawayo has been arrested for distributing pornographic image of a man and a woman in a compromising position, becoming one of the first individuals likely to fall victim to the Data Protection Law.
President Mnangagwa signed the Cyber Security and Data
Protection Bill into law this month after it passed through both the lower and
upper houses.
Bulawayo provincial police spokesperson Inspector Abednico
Ncube confirmed that the case was under investigation adding that investigating
officers were still looking into the exact charge before proceeding to court.
“The matter in question is under investigation and the
investigating officers are almost done with it. They are still working out the
exact charges and as soon as this is done, the suspect will be brought before
the courts,” said Insp Ncube.
The man, Sydney Ndhlukula was first picked by police on
Tuesday after a complaint was filed by his neighbour, Ms Rose Dube.
On Friday, he was again interviewed by the police and a
docket has since been opened against him and he could be charged under the newly
enacted Data Protection Act.
Narrating her ordeal to Sunday News at her home last
Friday, Ms Dube said Ndhlukula sent her a picture of a couple engaged in sexual
intercourse.
“Last week Ndhlukula sent me a picture showing two people
having sexual intercourse. Initially I thought he was joking until after a few
more chats, I realised that he was actually seriously thinking it was indeed me
in the picture,” Ms Dube said.
“I then told him that it wasn’t me but he went on to
forward the picture to many groups. I personally know of several people who
have in-boxed me telling me about the picture
and how he has been telling people it was me in it.”
In chats between Ms Dube and Ndhlukula seen by this
publication, the complainant tried to put him off, insisting that she was not
in the picture, but he went on to distribute the pornographic material on
various social media platforms.
Ndhlukula allegedly even created a collage using the
complainant’s pictures next to the picture of the naked woman in the compromising
position.
“Even after I told him that it wasn’t me in the picture, he
went to create a photo collage with the real pictures of me and added the one
with the naked woman also and distributed it among several people some of whom
I know. I even asked him what his wife would think of me if she saw the
pictures but he didn’t seem to care,” she said.
Ms Dube said she was now afraid of walking around the
neighbourhood.
“I can’t even walk out of the gate anymore. This man has
ruined my life and has made me lose the respect of my neighbours and children
in my neighbourhood.
“I now understand what makes people consider suicide,” she
said. Sunday News
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