Lawyer gags sex blogger
Andrea Botha
Cape Town - The controversial "sex blog" in which an anonymous former male prostitute named and shamed his alleged former clients - many of them well-known SA celebrities - has been stopped.
On Thursday, visitors to the site were greeted by a notice which stated that no further names would be revealed.
The blogger, who went by the name of Skye, said on the blog that he had reached an agreement with a lawyer representing five of his former clients.
He said he had been contacted by a legal representative of two already-named clients and three not-yet listed clients.
Skye had published 16 names and threatened to name all 50 men he claimed to have had sex with over the past 10 years. He provided vivid and often graphic details on his blog of how he allegedly had sex with each of the "clients".
Untrue
He mentioned the names of prominent South Africans on his blog, two of whom had come out slamming the blog as completely untrue.
Ex-Springbok James Small told radio station 702 that it was "rubbish" and criticised the blogger for refusing to reveal his identity. He said he planned to take legal action against the blogger.
Skye said that his main goal was to get people to see the double lives that famous people live. "Sex workers are hidden away, only called upon by the famous people when they need sex," he said.
"Revealing these details on my blog is for me like the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was for South Africa. I am making my conscience clean."
He said he undertook to take off all information already published and to replace it with this approved statement.
In exchange for the legal representative not revealing his identity, Skye agreed to remove all information, to stop talking to the media and to not participate in any debates or on websites about the matter.
"I apologise to the gay community of SA, to members of the GLA, members of Crime Expo SA.net and all families of clients who were named, for any pain I caused to them unwittingly.
"My intention in naming my former clients on a web page was honest, because I wanted to stop the selfish way in which well-known people treat male and other sex workers. I did not receive any money or make any profit from revealing my former clients.
"I have withdrawn from the contract and the filming of a TV programme as the agreement with the respective representative prevented my participation," he stated.
He also said he was convinced that in time, many would realise that what he started to do was the right thing at the right time.
"I have no grudge against my former clients.
"I wanted to clear my conscience about celebrities who lead a double life. That it was not the most ethical thing to do, is debatable."
Must face legal consequence
Simon Grindrod of the Independent Democrats told News24 on Thursday he was not involved in any deal reached with the blogger about taking down the content of the blog.
He confirmed that he had laid a charge of crimen injuria with police two weeks ago and that police were looking for the man responsible for putting up the blog.
He said that apart from any criminal action, he intended suing the blogger in a civil action as well.
"He must be held accountable, he must face the legal consequences of his destructive behaviour."
Grindrod said it made no difference to him that the names had been taken down from the blog.
"The damage has been done," he said, adding that this individual was "obviously unstable".
He said he was not worried about the claims made by the blogger, but about the principle that an anonymous person could make such claims.
http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2122102,00.html
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