Acquittal for Star TV boss in pornography trial
The Zurich High Court has fully acquitted Paul Grau, the managing director of the private broadcaster Star TV, of the charge of pornography. The case centered on sexual services offered via cell phones. However, Star TV merely provided airtime for advertisements in exchange for payment, the court stated.
The Zurich High Court has comprehensively acquitted Paul Grau, the managing director of the private broadcaster Star TV, of the charge of pornography. Two other defendants, representatives of MMS value-added service providers, on the other hand, were convicted of multiple counts of failing to prevent a punishable publication. The high court thus largely overturned a decision by the Zurich district court. In the fall of 2006, the court had fined all three defendants between 2,500 and 5,000 Swiss francs. The accusation was that the media entrepreneurs were responsible for sex offers on cell phones: Underage youths could download porn videos broadcast at night as MMS to their cell phones (see
). The defense lawyers, on the other hand, spoke only of an unpunishable sin of omission on the part of their clients. The responsibility for controlling young people and their television consumption would be borne by the adults. In the case of Star TV's managing director, the defense was successful. He merely made broadcasting time available for advertising in return for payment, as stated in the written verdict.
The other two defendants, on the other hand, had indisputably accepted that people of the age of consent could directly receive MMS with pornographic content using appropriately equipped telephone devices, the higher court judges went on to write. The motive for the crime had been financial interests.
The superior court judges assessed the offense as failure to prevent a punishable publication, but not as pornography. The former managing director of the company Lawa as well as a representative of Televox were therefore sentenced to conditional fines of 90 daily rates of 55 Swiss francs each.
The court awarded Paul Grau, who was acquitted, compensation of 4,000 Swiss francs. However, he has to bear one third of the costs for the first instance proceedings.
). The defense lawyers, on the other hand, spoke only of an unpunishable sin of omission on the part of their clients. The responsibility for controlling young people and their television consumption would be borne by the adults. In the case of Star TV's managing director, the defense was successful. He merely made broadcasting time available for advertising in return for payment, as stated in the written verdict.
The other two defendants, on the other hand, had indisputably accepted that people of the age of consent could directly receive MMS with pornographic content using appropriately equipped telephone devices, the higher court judges went on to write. The motive for the crime had been financial interests.
The superior court judges assessed the offense as failure to prevent a punishable publication, but not as pornography. The former managing director of the company Lawa as well as a representative of Televox were therefore sentenced to conditional fines of 90 daily rates of 55 Swiss francs each.
The court awarded Paul Grau, who was acquitted, compensation of 4,000 Swiss francs. However, he has to bear one third of the costs for the first instance proceedings.
