Chennai court sent Heum to judicial custody

Chennai, Nov 18 (ANI): William Heum, a Dutch national, who has been charged for child sex, has been sent to 15 days judicial custody by the Saidpet Magistrate Court here on Wednesday.

Disclosing this to the media Chief Public Persecutor said Heum has confessed his crime.

"William confessed about having affairs with boys. He also confessed he stored and later uploaded child pornography from his computer," said the public prosecutor.

However, Heum refuted the claims of public prosecutor, and affirmed that he hasn't confessed anything, and would like to go back to Netherlands.

"No, of course not. I did not do anything. You can talk to my lawyer," Heum said.

Heum also added that he did not wish to make any comment lest the prosecution got an advantage.

His bail plea is expected to come for hearing on Thursday.

Heum has been residing in the country for last 30 years and had applied for Indian citizenship, but now he has asked the Dutch Embassy to help him to fight the case.

"This is too much. Next case, next case - how you can live this way? I will go back to Netherlands I think," he said.

Earlier the Chennai Police produced Heum before the Saidapet magistrate court in the morning in connection with the 2005 charge of posting child pornography on the Internet, a crime under the new IT Act.

Heum is also facing another case in Mahabalipuram since 2002.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (Cyber Crime) Sudhakar confirmed to the media that Heum did confess during interrogation to storing and uploading child pornography on the World Wide Web.

"The confession has been submitted to the court along with additional evidence," he said.

Meanwhile, the Chennai Police conducted two separate raids on Heum's residence here.

According to police pornographic CDs and other incriminating documents in the process were recovered during the raids.

olice said the materials have been sent to the forensic science laboratory and a report is awaited. (ANI)