Philippe Servaty is a Belgian[1] journalist who formerly worked for Brussels-based newspaper Le Soir.[2]

Servaty traveled to Morocco, especially to the city of Agadir, several times between 2001 and 2005, where he engaged in sexual activities with poor young girls, photographing some of them naked and/or engaged in sexual acts.[3] At least one of the women filed a complaint to the police in Morocco, after a CD-ROM of the pictures began circulating in marketplaces in Agadir. The police arrested her, as well as many of the other women pictured, as posing for pornographic photos is a crime in Morocco.[4] Moroccan authorities asked Belgium to press charges against Servaty. Belgium declined, as the photos are not illegal under Belgian law.[4] Moroccan authorities have stated that he will be arrested if he returns to Morocco; he had previously been arrested there for possession of pornography. Due to the scandal, Servaty resigned from Le Soir.[2]

Families of the photographed women have placed a bounty on his head, and both he and his wife received death threats. Servaty was forced into hiding in fear for his life.[2][5] Servaty said in an interview that he was a sex addict and apologized for his actions.[5]

In February 2013, the Criminal Court of Brussels sentenced Servaty to 18 months for "debauchery or prostitution of a minor", "degrading treatment" and "exhibition and distribution of pornographic images".[3]

References

  1. ↑ Bradley, John R. Behind the Veil of Vice: the Business and Culture of Sex in the Middle East. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010. Print. books.google.com
  2. 1 2 3 (in French) Scandale porno d’Agadir, Karim Boukhari, TelQuel #180. Retrieved on 2007-02-02
  3. 1 2 "Philippe Servaty, le pornographe d'Agadir s'en sort avec 18 mois seulement". La Vie éco (in French). 19 February 2013. Archived from the original on 1 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  4. 1 2 (in Dutch) Ze zijn zo naïef, meneer, Bénédicte Vaes, De Standaard, 2005-07-02. Retrieved on 2007-02-02
  5. 1 2 (in Dutch) De slachtoffers van Servaty, Bart Schut, Knack. Retrieved on 2007-02-02

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