Sri Lankans are increasingly engaging in online sexual content production as several foreign-based adult websites and mobile apps offer financial incentives, the Police said yesterday.
Police noted that young couples are particularly drawn to this activity, believing that their identities will remain hidden and that such content can be created discreetly from home.
However, authorities warned that producing, promoting or distributing sexual content online is illegal in Sri Lanka, and those involved are liable to prosecution.
A senior police officer explained that even though many of these websites operate from abroad, participation or facilitation within Sri Lanka constitutes a criminal offence.
In a recent case illustrating this growing trend, a married couple was arrested by the Nugegoda Divisional Children and Women’s Bureau for producing and uploading pornographic videos to a UK-based paid adult website.
Investigations revealed that the husband, a computer engineering graduate, and the wife, a diploma holder in psychology, had turned to creating adult content after losing their jobs and facing financial difficulties.
The arrests were made on Friday (8) at their three-storey residence in Rajagiriya, where the couple lived on the upper floor. Police confirmed that the interior seen in their videos matched the upper floor of the house, which had been given to the woman as dowry.
A mobile phone and laptop used for filming, editing, and uploading the videos were seized. Investigations showed that the couple had entered into an agreement with the foreign website in November last year, agreeing to upload eight videos per month.
Since then, they had uploaded 334 videos, reportedly earning Rs. 150,000 to Rs. 200,000 per month, with extra income generated based on the number of views.
Police said the suspects believed their identities would remain hidden as the website was not accessible in Sri Lanka until August this year. The couple, who have no children, were to be produced before the Colombo Aluthkade Magistrate’s Court.
Police reiterated that prostitution and related activities are prohibited under the Vagrancy Ordinance and Brothels Ordinance, and that anyone involved in producing or distributing such material faces arrest and legal action.
