Ugandan pop star faces arrest for 'revenge porn' photos

A Ugandan pop star, Desire Luzinda, is facing arrest because her ex-boyfriend circulated nude pictures of her on the internet in a 'revenge porn' attack. One government minister has even called for her to be "locked up".

The 26-year-old musician has gone into hiding after the photographs went viral on social media and were published by newspapers. Uganda has a thriving tabloid press that delights in vilifying public figures and exposing 'immoral' sexual behaviour.

The Independent reports that Uganda's state minister for ethics and integrity, Simon Lokodo, said last week the star should be arrested, telling a newspaper: "I have directed the police to arrest her, but first they should investigate her. She should be locked up and isolated."

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This week, a more conciliatory tone was struck by an ethics ministry official, Patricia Okiria, who said the singer might not be charged with a crime but would be "contacted to help in the investigations".

Okiria added: "She will help us in establishing the motive of releasing the pornographic content. Her answers will help us substantiate her role in this saga. We need to know whether she consented before these photos were taken."

Luzinda blamed a "breach of trust by someone I loved" for the incident - but nevertheless apologised for posing in the first place. She said: "I take full responsibility for having lost my mind to take such shameful pics.

Luzinda, who has a young daughter, added: "Those who have interacted closely with me know I am a decent person, a doting mother and an industrious woman. These images in no way should define who I am."

Uganda's government recently passed restrictive anti-gay laws, a move supported by most of the popular tabloid newspapers.

Luzinda's case comes after a series of other 'revenge porn' incidents, including the GamerGate row that blew up after female games developer Zoe Quinn was subjected to an online witch-hunt, and dozens of celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, had intimate pictures circulated online by hackers.