Arrests in Vietnam sex tape case

By Nga Pham
BBC Vietnamese Service

Thuy Linh (R) was popular with children and parents

Police in Vietnam have arrested four students in connection with an internet sex video scandal.

The scandal, involving a video that appears to show the star of popular TV series Vang Anh's Diaries having sex, has sparked intense debate.

Two men and two women, all in their twenties, will be prosecuted for "dispersing illicit material of sexual content" on the internet.

If found guilty, they could face up to three years in jail.

Internet sensation

Nguyen Huu Tai, Vo Thanh Hiep, Nguyen Thu Linh and Vu Thi Thuy Linh are accused of making and posting the 16-minute video clip of 19-year-old TV star Hoang Thuy Linh on the internet.

Police are also investigating another 10 people, mostly students and some currently studying overseas, for "storing, transporting and dispersing illicit material".

The four people arrested are accused of copying the video clip, filmed by mobile phone, from a computer belonging to Thuy Linh's boyfriend.

After editing they posted it on their blogs and sent the link to a number of friends, said the Head of Hanoi Police Nguyen Duc Nhanh.

A five-minute version of the video was posted on YouTube by an anonymous user last week.

The 16-minute version was posted a couple of days later.

Show cancelled

The clips have since been removed from Youtube, but copies - including another 20-minute version - are being circulated on other websites.

The police are yet to find out who posted the first five-minute clip.

The Vanh Anh's Diaries series, which focused on the daily lives of Vietnamese school students, was popular with both young people and their parents.

Unprecedented attention from the public, especially among internet users, prompted Vietnam Television to drop the series which was in its second season.