$6,000 Fine: Naming Alleged Sex Offenders

June 28, 2011

Bermuda Broadcasting Company was fined $6,000 in Magistrates Court today [June 28] after it named two people charged in connection with sex assaults during news broadcasts. The maximum fine possible was $5,000, and the BBC was fined $3,000 on each count.

BBC’s CEO had originally appeared before Magistrate Archie Warner on June 14th to answer the two charges. The first charge against the BBC was that on 9th and 10th November 2010, they unlawfully published the name of a person accused of an offence of a sexual nature. The second count occurred on 30th March 2011. The company pleaded guilty to both counts.

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Comments (21)

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  1. WHY NOT says:

    what? is this a Joke?

  2. Bravo! says:

    Bravo to BBC for naming names! WE NEED A REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS LIST!! I want to know who to keep my children away from. I know we need to protect the innocent child-victims but at the expense of other potential victims??? No!! Once a molester molests one child, he/she will do it again. FACT! We need to name names and get this under control. Child molestation is rampant in Bermuda – it is a problem that people sweep under the rug and keep hush-hush. Who does this help? The children that will suffer the rest of their lives? No, no it certainly does not help the victims!! Bermuda law protects the MOLESTERS!! This is insane and unacceptable.

    Continue to name names BBC! I will gladly pay your fines! I repeat, once a molester molests one child, he/she will do it again. I don’t want my child to be the next victim. Name names!!

    • me myself and I says:

      Thank you, this is so true, name those PIGS

    • Scott says:

      lol idiots..

      aquitted-> either technicality or not guilty. why name n shame someone who didnt do it? it only takes one pissed off lady to say you raped her (and YES it does happen) and youre life is over under the policy you guys are trying to promote.

  3. Down 'n' Dirty says:

    Will the victim benefit from the judgement ? (victim of the sex crime)

  4. Just askn' says:

    Judging from feedback on previous threads on this ‘related subject’ , I would speculate that a large number of people would be willing to pay ZBM’s fine for them !

    The question is , why , if it’s so well known that the law states the names of offenders CAN’T be made public , does ZBM (and others in the past too) continue to make this slip up ?

    • Malachi says:

      Because obviously someone at the BBC is hell-bent on doing the right thing!

  5. itwasn'tme says:

    guilty before proven innocent! IF they are innocent, they are black balled for life because of the media cock up……name them after they are found guilty.

    • Bravo! says:

      No one is asking to publish names before they are found guilty.

      • Dawn says:

        BBC was charged for naming persons before they were convicted. The article says they named people who were charged. I agree with itwasn’tme- if persons are named but found not guilty they are then labelled for life. By all means, name people post-conviction if doing so does not identify the victim.

      • Scott says:

        you retard.. did you read the article?

        one was before he was found guilty.

        from bdasun, the other was actually aquitted..

        so when you say no one is asking before they are found guilty, then wrong.. YOU are saying they should be named before guilty… hence your prior post saying they should have been named.

      • Scott says:

        Article: The first charge against the BBC was that on 9th and 10th November 2010, they unlawfully published the name of a person accused of an offence of a sexual nature. The second count occurred on 30th March 2011. The company pleaded guilty to both counts.

        followed by

        Bravo! says:
        June 28, 2011 at 3:54 pm

        Bravo to BBC for naming names!

        followed by

        Bravo! says:
        June 28, 2011 at 5:49 pm

        No one is asking to publish names before they are found guilty.

        ??? really?

        • ???? says:

          I am all for naming convicted sex offenders but not men just charged. The BBC even named a guy after he got off. People can cheer than on, wait till some vindictive woman screams rape on you and the radio blasts your name and the rest of the island shuns you.

  6. James says:

    Naming guilty sexual offenders is an absolute must. This country is littered with men and women, boys and girls that have had their worlds destroyed by sick predators.

  7. Triangle Drifter says:

    In the US & Canada your name & picture is published at the time of arrest, no matter the offence. Get up to date Bermuda.

    • richard says:

      And when did the US and Canada become the standard that should be followed?

  8. Malachi says:

    To the local community, maybe we should all contribute to the fine.

    This, however, is just an example of the fact that we Bermudians are not passionate enough when it comes to certain matters. We should all be protesting in the streets until this ridiculous law is done away with. If any member of my family was sexually assaulted and the perpetrator arrested, you can bet I would place a poster of the offender on every telephone pole in Bermuda!

    They can fine me or even lock me up if they like, but I would find comfort in the fact that at least one more of these sickos is known to the public.

    We need to thank the BBC for doing the public a great favour.

  9. summer lover says:

    Whatever happened to ‘innocent until proven guilty’ if in fact they are guilty?
    You guys would have a person drawn and quartered before the ink is dry on the paper…. A person’s entire life could be ruined with false accusations.

  10. I am a lady that went through sexual asullts as a child and i am pissed off that the law is protecting thesse men by not letting thier names be read to the public. Why is it that a person has to go through this and then be told that they have to keep the persons name quiet? This is keeping the doors wide open for them to do it again. I say let the press tell thier names and protect the net child or person from a life long debilatating experiance.

  11. Island Gal says:

    They should have named the jerk!

    • richard says:

      From he/she who hides behind an anonymous name