Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 01:19, 3 March 2008

The Edison Chen photo scandal is an event in early 2008 which shook the Hong Kong entertainment industry and captivated the public continuously for over three weeks. It involved intimate photographs taken by Hong Kong actor Edison Chen Kwoon-hei of and/or with various actresses, including Gillian Chung Yan-tung, Bobo Chan Man-woon, and Cecilia Cheung Pak-zhi.

In late January 2008, "racy photographs" depicting Chen and the aforementioned actresses were circulated on the Internet. The scandal made front page of local newspapers for several weeks, and has made international news.

Despite enlisting the assistance of Interpol, the Hong Kong police have not been able to stem the spread of the photographs. As of 12 February 2008, ten people were arrested in connection with the distribution of the photographs. The police crackdown has instead raised questions over violations of the privacy and free speech rights of Internet users. The manner in which actors, their management, and the police have handled the situation has, in turn, made those arrested into heroes and martyrs for some netizens.

On 21 February, Chen admitted being the author of most of the photographs. However, he also claimed that the "private photographs" had been "stolen" and published illegally without his consent. Chen vowed he would take legal action to stop further proliferation of the photos in order to protect the victims of the scandal,. He publicly apologised, and also announced that he would "step away indefinitely" from the Hong Kong entertainment industry.

History

In November 2006, Chen allegedly purchased a pink PowerBook from eLite Multimedia, a computer shop in Hong Kong's Central district. According to the police, Chen's "Cotton-candy Mac" computer was sent in for repairs, and an estimated 1,300 intimate photographs of Chen and numerous female celebrities may have been accessed and copied by one or more of the shop's employees without consent. Chen's photographs were reportedly taken some time between 2003 and 2005.

One close friend of Chen indicated that he liked to take photographs during intimate moments with his sexual partners, of which 14 were celebrities, and privately showed these to a select group of close friends.

Exposure

The first photograph, depicting Chen and a female presumed to be Gillian Chung, was posted on the Web site Hong Kong Discuss Forum at approximately 8:30 p.m. on 27 January 2008. Although the original post was deleted after a few hours, some visitors forwarded the photo to other major forums in Hong Kong such as Uwants and HKGolden. Chung's management agency, Emperor Entertainment Group (EEG), immediately denied that the photographs were authentic and filed a police report.

At 3 p.m. the day following EEG's statement, a second explicit photograph of Chen with another female presumed to be Bobo Chan appeared on the Internet. An emergency meeting was held at EEG immediately that evening after which the company declared that it would pursue the publisher of the image for this "irresponsible" and "malicious act." Gillian Chung was reportedly very distraught, had taken a leave of absence, and would not comment on the matter. Shaped by the denials, the initial media consensus was that the photographs had been manipulated. The story became the headline of major local Hong Kong newspapers.

At 12:30 p.m. on 29 January, a higher resolution photograph appeared on the Internet. Journals noted the uncanny resemblance to Cecilia Cheung, noting her physical features and her distinctive tattoo set. The photographs became the talk of the town, and local discussion forums became saturated as a result. A low-resolution sequence (photos 4 to 7) of Chen with a female resembling Chung wearing a bikini at the start of the sequence appeared at 3 p.m.; a photograph of Cecilia Cheung standing in a bathroom with her back facing the camera appeared at 6 p.m. Journals established that the photographs were taken inside Chen's residence by comparing the backgrounds with known video footage. The police, and photographic experts who examined the images involving the first three female celebrities, said the photos were unlikely to have been composites.

On 6 February, a forum user leaked more photos in defiance of the police. The uploader, dubbed by the public as "Kira" with reference to the protagonist in the manga "Death Note" , stated he was not in Hong Kong, and promised to release a 32-minute video the next day.

On 8 February, three pictures of a girl/young woman showering appeared on the Internet. The subject was rapidly identified as 18 year old Vincy Yeung (楊永晴), Edison's girlfriend and niece of Albert Yeung (Chairman of EEG). The police confirmed these three images were part of the set of 1,300 photographs seized. Having said there were only six victims, the police explained the appearance of a seventh, saying that her photographs had been erroneously grouped with one of the other females.

On 14 February, two new photographs surfaced. One photograph featured an unidentified woman with Edison, and another showed Rachel Ngan lying on a bed.

During this time, photographs were also posted on the popular mainland China chat room, Tianya.com, and have been viewed nearly 20 million times a day.

Statistics

This table breaks down the photographs by subject:

Bubbling under

On February 26, as Edison entered his sixth consecutive day of police interrogation, Sing Tao Daily revealed that a cache of computer disks, CD-ROMs containing in excess of ten thousand images were found from the search of Chen's residence. Five "new" celebrities were identified, of which two television entertainers, one model who had moved her career overseas, and two singer-actresses, of which one is from Taiwan. Investigations were apparently hampered by Chen's caution, and by the lack of cooperation of some of the "new" female victims: some had left town; one had already publicly denied her involvement. Cecilia Cheung was also reportedly uncooperative. While the police suspected as yet hidden motives, Chen denied that he had been blackmailed.

Police actions

Hong Kong

China News Service (CNS) reported that more than 100 police officers had been sent to investigate the case, although Assistant Commissioner of Police (Crime) Vincent Wong Fook-chuen later declared that a team consisted of 19 officers from the Commercial Crime Bureau.

The Hong Kong police moved on all Internet service providers to stamp out all local traces of the "offensive material" (which had not yet even been classified). The police held a meeting with more than 200 people responsible for major Hong Kong Web sites and BBS communities to urge them to delete the pictures on appearance "as they have the responsibility to stop crimes". Related discussion threads were progressively deleted CNS reported the Hong Kong media as saying that police ordered several locally registered Web sites and BBS management firms to submit information about their clients, and had retrieved the IP addresses of more than 30 Internet users who allegedly posted photographs.

On 31 January 2008, an unemployed man identified as 29 year-old Chung Yik-tin (鍾亦天) was arrested for allegedly uploading one image. Twelve pictures were found on his computer. The next day he was arraigned but denied bail because he was suspected of blackmailing the actor and actresses. The case would reconvene eight weeks later, and was destined to spend Chinese New Year in detention. After investigating the connection between the suspect and artists, the police were satisfied that blackmail was not involved.

On 2 February, police arrested four men and two women in connection with the distribution of the photographs. Of the six, three men and a woman were released on HK$20,000 bail and must report back to the police in eight weeks. The police revealed that during 2007, Edison Chen brought his computer to a shop for repairs. Employees who discovered over 1,300 intimate photographs may have secretly copied these files.

On 4 February, a 29-year-old man became the eighth person to be detained in connection with the Internet posting of nude photos. On the same day, 23-year-old Sze Ho-Chun (史可隽) was arrested in Central, and charged with "dishonest use of computers with criminal intent", which has a maximum penalty of five years imprisonment. The man appeared in Eastern Court on 5 February, where he denied the charge and was released on HK$50,000 bail. The case has been adjourned to 22 February.

Assistant Commissioner Vincent Wong said the source of the pictures had been traced, but he would not confirm reports stating that they had been taken from Chen's computer. He added that the authenticity of the photographs was no longer in question. Wong also said of the six women found in the photographs, four were local celebrities; two were not known to the police. None of the women were named. Wong said he was certain that no overseas artists were involved. Ignoring copyright laws, he said that it was not a crime to transfer the pictures to friends, but those who had posted the images to Internet Web pages would be in breach of the Hong Kong law. His statement has prompted some people to solicit for or send the picture files to their "friends" en masse by email.

On 5 February, as another one of the suspects was released on HK$50,000 bail, six more related photographs surfaced on the Internet. In the early hours on Chinese New Year's eve, several hundred more photographs with two new faces appeared on the Internet.

The police arrested a tenth person in connection with the case on 10 February. Named as Kwok Chun-wai, a 24 year-old logistics clerk, he was charged with distribution of pornography. He had allegedly posted the link to a local discussion forum after uploading a compressed file containing over a hundred images to a site in Cyprus. Kwok was released on HK$10,000 bail and was required to report to the police three times a week.

Mainland China

Web sites on the mainland are usually more sensitive to political issues than to pornography, and for several weeks major sites such as Baidu permitted the images to be disseminated, attracting Hong Kong users. Around 20 February however, mainland sites took action to prevent access to the photos.

A crackdown began in mainland China on the manufacturing, selling and spreading the CDs of the celebrity photos, which have been "selling like hotcakes". Police have arrested 10 people suspected of the production in Shenzhen.

On 21 February, police in Beijing announced it would act to stop the circulation of the photographs. Officials declared that showing the photos to friends or posting them on blogs or online forums, even without profit motive, could be punishable by detention for up to 15 days; transmission of more than 200 of the photos as a package on the internet would be met with criminal prosecution.

Taiwan

A Taiwanese man aged 24, Huang Wei-lun, was arrested in Taipei county on suspicion of posting the explicit photos and videos in his blog and instructing net surfers how to download the images. Police in Kaohsiung warned of the two year penalty for selling pornographic CDs, and have raided shops and arcades where discs of Edison photographs have been selling slowly, for TWD100. One observer remarked that young people did not buy discs as they can get the photographs easily off the internet.

Legal issues

Copyright, which could be a central issue, has been slighted. On 2 February, Commissioner of Police Tang King Shing warned that anyone with the pictures on their computer 'could be' in breach of the law, even if there was no record of distribution. The Commissioner's remarks led to lawmaker "Long Hair" Leung Kwok Hung's immediate objection. Leung and about two dozen people protested outside police headquarters in Wan Chai, accusing the police of sowing confusion and creating an atmosphere of "white terror" among netizens. Leung urged Commissioner Tang to clarify whether merely keeping the pictures violated the law.

The police's selectiveness in this case, as compared with previous cases of pornography distribution on the Internet has also been the focus of attention. Regina Ip said that police would commonly apply the law selectively, citing the difficulty of taking action against every person who had overstayed in Hong Kong. Similarly local Chairman of the Internet Society said that it would not be practical for the police to ticket every traffic offender.

The denial of bail for Chung Yik-tin sparked controversy over the subjective application of the law. South China Morning Post (SCMP) columnist Tim Hamlett said the presumption of innocence was an issue. Commentary in Ming Pao also remarked on the widespread outrage about the perceived selective application of legal principles - that a person charged with an apparently minor offense being denied bail whilst two others, unnamed, with allegedly heavier involvement in the spread of the photographs were allowed out on bail. A commentary in Apple Daily decried the "clear intimidation of netizens" by the police, and referred to the "hypocrisy in law enforcement" for arresting people without bringing the alleged main source and victim (Edison) for interrogation.

While publishing an Obscene (淫褻) article carries a maximum sentence of 3 years, an Indecent (不雅) article only carries a maximum sentence of 12 months. Ming Pao revealed on 14 February that it had received interim classification from the Obscene Articles Tribunal (OAT) relating to five photographs it had submitted for opinion. Three of these photographs were classified as "indecent" while two were considered "obscene". The only photograph which was in circulation on 27 January, allegedly posted by Chung Yik-tin, belonged to the "indecent" category. Thus, the journal raised the question that Chung may have been charged with a wrong offense. Also, the law applies only after OAT's classification. Since the police arrested and charged Chung prior to classification, some viewed the arrest as unlawful while some see his release, despite the fact he did upload at least stolen photo of the nude celebrities, as too lenient. Legislator Ronny Tong accused the police of humiliating a suspect by their excessively hasty actions. An Assistant Professor at the University of Hong Kong questioned whether an amended charge of "Publishing an Indecent Article" applied to photographs uploaded onto the Internet. At 3:30 p.m. on 15 February, Chung was unconditionally released from detention when charges against him were dropped.

Responses and apologies

After the exposure of the eighth photograph, Chen quietly left Hong Kong and flew to Boston to be with his girlfriend Vincy.

On 4 February 2008, Chen released a 90-second video clip in English to the press in which he apologised to those who may have been affected by the posting of photographs. He did not comment on the authenticity of the photos.

As of this evening, the police have made significant advances towards solving this malicious crime. As from the beginning I will continue to give the police my fullest cooperation to bring the perpetrators to justice.

At this time I am not able to discuss matters related to the case, but I do feel it is my obligation to accept full responsibility and take action to help both the victims and those associated with them to heal their wounds.

In this regard, I plead with everyone to please stop forwarding the images on the Internet. Furthermore, to completely rid the images from your computer. This is a small step that each one of us can take to help the innocent rebuild their lives. The priority now is for all of us to pitch in and help those in need.

— Edison Chen, as posted to his blog

Gillian Chung was the first starlet to make a public appearance when she greeted fans at a New Year celebration on 11 February2008. After the meeting, she delivered a brief statement to the press in which she did not expressly state whether she was the subject of some of the photographs. Chung apologised for the hurt caused to those around her by her silliness and naivety, saying that she "had now grown up". Emperor sought closure by stating that neither it nor any of its artists would be making any further statement about the incident. The press conference drew mixed response from the media and the public - some praised her courage in facing the public while others complained of her insincerity and her refusal to face the issue squarely. An Apple Daily commentary was particularly scathing about the hypocrisy of Chung and of her management company for only obliquely hinting at her "licentiousness."

On 21 February, Edison held a press conference during which he asked for forgiveness and announced his retirement from the Hong Kong entertainment industry. He sincerely regretted harm he caused to the women involved and their and his families.

...I would like to say sorry to all the people of Hong Kong. I give my apologies sincerely to you all, unreservedly and with my heart... I know many young people in Hong Kong look up to many figures in society, and in this regard I failed as a role model.

— Edison Chen, press conference, 21 February 2008

Chen confirmed that the photographs were indeed his, and that they were private; the photographs made public were obtained without his consent. He stated that he had been cooperating with police to solve the case since the first day, and would continue to do so. Through his lawyer, Chen asserted the photographs were protected by his property rights, and that reproduction whether in whole or in part without his consent would constitute copyright infringement.

Repercussions

For the police

On February 3, approximately 20 people, led by Leung Kwok-hung, protested the abuse of power by the police.

A week later, on February 10, protesters demonstrated against alleged "discriminatory" law enforcement against Internet users. The involvement local celebrities led to complaints that the recent wave of arrests had been indicative of a legal double standard. Protesters claimed that the police failed to investigate other cases of nude photos being released without their subject's permission.

Approximately 300 Internet users marched from Victoria Park to police headquarters in Wan Chai. They petitioned the police to apologize publicly, to release Chung Yik-tin, and to stop what protesters called an abuse of power. They also demanded the resignation of Commissioner Tang King-shing.

In the wake of the scandal, citizens also became more concerned about the integrity of the law, resulting in increased resentment towards the Hong Kong Police. In December 2007, Chief Inspector Cindy Kong was hit from behind by a truck, but was unusually allowed to drink water prior to being breathalysed. One month later, businessman Peter Lam was acquitted of a speeding offense due to legal technicalities. Citizens cited these examples to show that, in Hong Kong, some were clearly more equal than others.

The Police were widely condemned for their handling of the case. In addition, in a survey published by the SCMP, some 48% of people surveyed believed the Police had created unnecessary fear among the Internet community, and a similar percentage were dissatisfied with the police handling of the case. However, Assistant Commissioner Wong insisted that they had "not departed from normal practices" and had "acted correctly under the laws".

International media attention

The news of the scandal has received international media attention, notably on CNN, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Economist, MSNBC, The BBC, The Guardian, Le Figaro, Le Monde and Der Spiegel.

For Chen

On 5 February 2008, Chen was pulled from the upcoming Stephen Fung movie Jump as a result of the scandal. On 10 February 2008, it was reported that credit card company Manhattan Titanium has withdrawn all advertisements featuring Chen.

Many police officers protected Chen throughout the press conference, and some citizens complained about the waste of manpower. The police replied that, according to their risk assessment, their strong presence was essential to maintain public order due to the great public and media interest in the case.

The triads reportedly offered a HK$500,000 reward to anybody who hacked off Edison Chen's hand. This contributed to fears for Edison's safety upon his return, and heavy police protection.

The LA Times reported that Pepsi China, Standard Chartered Bank, Samsung, Levi's and the Hong Kong Metro, have dropped or declined to renew ad campaigns involving Chen.

For Chung

Whilst Emperor declared that Gillian Chung was on sick leave, her fellow "Twin" Charlene Choi twice publicly denied rumours of suicide attempts by Chung -once was during the promotion of the film Kung Fu Dunk. According to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, their music video for the celebration of the Chinese New Year would have featured Twins, but has since been dropped because of Chung's involvement in the controversy. A new video featuring other artists was selected as a replacement. Preparations for the Twins concerts in Hong Kong originally scheduled for 12-16 April were seriously affected, and the shows would be postponed until September.

Chung's appearance at a charity programme on 17 February met with around 2,100 complaints to the Broadcasting Authority, 373 to TVB, and 202 to the Television and Entertainment Licensing Authority (TELA). On 21 February the Broadcasting Authority decided that the complaints were outside its jurisdiction to consider, and passed all the correspondence received to TVB.

On February 26, 2008, the South China Morning Post, citing the Dalian Evening News, reported that Chung and Nicholas Tse (husband of Cecilia Cheung) would no longer perform at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. Artistic Director, Zhang Yimou, dropped them for having been tainted by the nude photos scandal. Their management had no comment.

For former female collaborators of Edison Chen

Jolin Tsai and Elva Hsiao, who have collaborated with Chen on various projects, have been rumoured love interests of Chen. Some images of a Tsai lookalike have previously appeared. In an effort to contain the damage to their reputations, both issued statements through their agents that they had "never been involved with Chen". They each issued "rewards" of TWD100 million defying anyone to come forward with legally authenticated photographs, and also threatened to seek full redress from any parties for the "smears". Tsai urged the Hong Kong Police to publish a list of the persons involved, so that "innocents can be spared".

For the Press

The blanket coverage of the local press, their reporting style, and the appearance of photographs has also been met with complaints from members of the public to TELA. TELA suspects at least two journals of violating the Obscene Articles Ordinance, and sent copies of issue 936 of Next Magazine and issue 531 of the Oriental Sunday magazine to the OAT for classification. The Tribunal returned an interim classification of "Class I", meaning the magazines were "neither obscene nor indecent", and TELA demanded a full public hearing to review its decision. The OAT, the method of selecting its adjudicators, and the Obscene Articles Ordinance, are under fire. It reportedly classified Michelangelo's "David" as "indecent" by adhering rigidly to a definition.

For the public in Hong Kong

The scandal has shocked the general public and ignited debate about sexual morality. When legislator Timothy Fok asked Chief Executive Donald Tsang whether the scandal affected Hong Kong's reputation as a regional hub, Tsang replied that it was "a serious issue which demanded further follow-up".

For Baidu

The images reached China mostly through an image-sharing service on Baidu (Tieba). Beijing Network News Council (BNCC) held a meeting on February 18 to discuss the "romantic pictures", and criticised Baidu for spreading the pictures.

Other Web sites that actively discouraged the photo distribution, namely Sohu, Sina and Netease, were praised by BNCC.

See also

• 2002 East Week magazine kidnap incident
• 2003 Jade Solid Gold Top 10 award bribing

References

1. Post Chronicle (4 February 2008). "Cecilia Cheung Nude, Gillian Chung Fellatio Photo In Edison Chen Scandal". Retrieved 2008-02-04.
2. Patrick Frater (04 February 2008). ""HK police arrest 7 more in celebrity porn scandal"". Variety (Asia). Retrieved 2008-02-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
3. "網頁極速蔓延 淫照難盡剷" (in Traditional Chinese). Wen Wei Po. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
4. ^ "Eight now held in Internet sex probe". The Standard. 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-02-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
5. "一哥：藏裸照供發布可拉人" (in Traditional Chinese). sina.com.hk. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
6. "網民支持發照者 批警方偏袒 學者：網絡暴力作祟" (in Traditional Chinese). Phoenix TV. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-02-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
7. ^ Nickkita Lau (22 February 2008). ""Edison bows out on sorry note"". The Standard. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
8. "涉及淫照风波的电脑店铺 常有男艺人光顾" (in Simplified Chinese). 猫扑. 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
9. "陈冠希道歉　请求大家销毁不雅照片" (in Simplified Chinese). 金羊网. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
10. "店員炫耀淫照出事" (in Traditional Chinese). Sing Pao Daily News. 2008-02-04. Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
11. "网上再现6张女艺人不雅照" (in Simplified Chinese). Qingdao News. 2008-02-06. Retrieved 2008-02-07. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
12. ^ Chang May Choon (2 February 2008). "Is this Cecilia?". The Electric New Paper (via Google cache). Retrieved 2008-02-10.
13. "Gillian Chung and Edison Chen 'racy photos' exposed" (in Traditional Chinese). Apple Daily. 29 January 2008.
14. "Edison Chen, Ah Giu, BoBo bedshots exposed" (in Traditional Chinese). The Sun. 29 January 2008.
15. "Hong Kong stars slam nude photos". REDNET.CN. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-05.
16. ""Racy photos scandal"". Apple Daily. 30 January 2008.
17. "张柏芝卷入陈冠希艳照门 网上惊现疑似裸照" (in Simplified Chinese). xinmin.cn. 2008-01-30. Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
18. "So Is This Joey Yung?". The Electric New Paper. 3 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
19. The name "Kira" is a reference to the main character in the manga Death Note, whose real identity is unknown to the public but whose continued vigilantist acts and defiance against the police were admired by certain members of the public.
20. "'Edison's Conquests' Sex Photos - Dozens More Leaked". batgwa.com. 7 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
21. ""Racy pictures scandal out of control - Vincy's involvement infuriates father" (艷照門"事件失控 楊永晴遭毒手楊受成大怒)" (in Traditional Chinese). Phoenix Television (via Sina.com). 8 February 2008.
22. "Battle resumes after 5 day respite, Black-hand toys with Big Brother (休戰五日 再發床照 疑顏穎思 - 黑手明玩一哥)" (in Traditional Chinese). The Sun Daily. 15 February 2008.
23. "World soaks up the scandal". South China Morning Post. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22. (non-free source)
24. "Racy photo's keep appearing, 460 more X-factor is increasing (阿嬌柏芝BoBo 床照不止 460張連環播淫褻升級)" (in Traditional Chinese). The Sun Daily. 10 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
25. ^ "Two new faces seen on new nude photos (新裸照驚見二铫女藝人)". Sing Tao Daily (in Traditional Chinese). 27 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
26. ^ "Indecent photo turmoil continues, twelve victims identified (不雅照事件風波不斷 相關受害女星至少12人)". Sina.com. 26 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
27. ^ Lydia Chen (31 January 2008). "Alleged HK celebrity sex photos create a stir". Shanghai Daily. Retrieved 2008-02-08.
28. ^ "(Entire front page)" (in Traditional Chinese). Sing Pao Daily News. 2008-02-05. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
29. Michael Chugani (6 February 2008). ""Public Eye" -Porn pictures: the big unanswered question...". South China Morning Post. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Page= ignored (|page= suggested) (help)
30. ^ "Suspect arrested in Internet nude photo escapade". The Standard. 2008-02-01. Retrieved 2008-02-04. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
31. "'Edison's Conquests' Sex Photos - Hundreds More Images Seized". batgwa.com. 2 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
32. "'Edison's Conquests' Sex Photos - Computer Shop Searched". batgwa.com. 3 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
33. ^ "Star apologizes to six artistes in 1,300 racy Internet photos". The Standard. 2008-02-05. Retrieved 2008-02-05. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
34. ^ "Accused bailed as more racy photos surface". The Standard. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
35. "Update: Edison Chen has sex pictures". The Blemish. 30 January 2008.
36. "One more arrest amidst continuing rapid spread of artistes' racy photos (艺人不雅照网络急速传播 又一网民发放被捕)". Sina.com. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
37. ^ Damon Pang & Nikkita Lau (13 February 2008). "Suspect granted bail as Edison's return imminent". The Standard. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
38. "Netizens move to mainland as discussions killed off". Oriental Daily. 1 February 2008.
39. "Sex photos a hot buy in Guangzhou". China Daily, HK Edition. February 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
40. "Sex photos sell like hot cakes in Shenzhen". South China Morning Post. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21. (non-free)
41. "China police apprehend 10 people over HK nude celebrity photos". Xinhua. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
42. "Beijing draws line as Taiwanese crack down". The Standard. February 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
43. "Taiwan man nabbed over HK celebrity nude photos". Google news. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
44. "DVD店賣陳冠希淫照光碟　生意差僅售出7張" (in Traditional Chinese). ET Today. 24 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-26.
45. "Longhair protests the Hong Kong Police Department for abusing the power to arrest 4 Hong Kong residents for forwarding the photos (抗議警方濫捕4名網民!)" (in Traditional Chinese "混淆視聽轉、轉移視線，製造網上恐怖氣氛"). Leung Kwok Hung. 3 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-05. {{cite web}}: line feed character in |language= at position 20 (help)CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)
46. "星期六問責: 鄧竟成訪問" (in Traditional Chinese). RTHK. 3 February 2008.
47. "香港警方稱藏淫照也有罪 明星獲偏袒引爭議" (in Chinese). Sina Beijing. 3 February 2008.
48. ^ "Lam treats scandal with kid gloves". The Standard. February 15, 2008. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
49. ^ Bradsher, Keith (13 February 2008). "Internet Sex Video Case Stirs Free-Speech Issues in Hong Kong". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-02-16.
50. "Tim Hamlett's Hong Kong". South China Morning Post. 6 February 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Page= ignored (|page= suggested) (help)
51. "Legal bias in stars' nude photo incident (藝人裸照案 執法司法都有偏差)" (in Traditional Chinese). Ming Pao. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-13.
52. ^ "The Biggest Lesson of "Sex Photos Gate" is the Exposure of Hypocrisy". Apple Daily via Zona Europa. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-15. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Original article Template:Zh icon
53. Cap 390 s21: Prohibition on publishing obscene articles, Hong Kong Government, 7 July 2000
54. "Five photos assessed: 3 "indecent", 2 "obscene" (5裸照評級3 不雅2淫褻" (in Traditional Chinese). 14 February 2008. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
55. "Edison Chen 陳冠希 talks about photo scandal". YouTube. 4 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
56. "Edison Chen's blog". CLOT. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
57. ^ Damon Pang (12 February 2008). ""Twins star apologizes to her fans"". The Standard. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
58. "Naive and silly old me (阿嬌：以前很天真及傻)" (in Traditional Chinese). Ming Pao. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-11. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
59. 「....今次這件事，對我同身邊的人，都造成了好大的困擾同傷害(停頓數秒)。我承認以前係好天真同好傻，但係現在已經長大了。好多謝公司、多謝家人，及多謝朋友的眷顧及支持；今次這件事，對於社會帶來了好大的影響，我都深感抱歉，在未來日子裏，我會繼續努力工作，同積極面對我的人生。多謝傳媒的關心，以及要多謝一班對我不離不棄的fans，多謝。」
    (English translation: "....This incident has caused a lot of turmoil and harm to me and people around me. I admit that I was so naive and silly in the past, but now I have grown up. I thank my company, my family and my friends for their blessing and support. This incident has caused a lot of effects to the society which I deeply regret. In the future, I will continue to work hard, and face my life positively. Thank the media for their care. Also, I want to thank my loyal fans for their relentless support. Thank you.""I was So Silly, So Naive" (in Traditional Chinese). Ming Pao. 12 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-12.
60. ""The week's press cuttings"". Zona Europa. Week 2, February 2008. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
61. "Edison Chen statement". Sina. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
62. "Edison Chen: I Took Photos, I'm Sorry, I Quit Showbiz". batgwa.com. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
63. ""Net users protest at police action"". South China Morning Post. 10 February 2008.(non-free source)
64. "Tycoon's niece target of latest nude photos". South China Morning Post. 9 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
65. Damon Pang (February 11, 2008). "Internet sex pix saga picks up steam". The Standard. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
66. ^ 500 "Netizens march to protest at injustices; shout demands to pursue Edison Chen (500 網民遊行 責警執法不公;高呼捉拿陳冠希)" (in Traditional Chinese). Apple Daily. 11 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-11. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)
67. "Truck hits chief inspector's car, toll booth". The Standard. 27 December 2007. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
68. "超速64公里變29公里 政府放生林建岳" (in Traditional Chinese). Apple Daily. 9 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
69. {{cite news|title=Police attacked over bungled arrest|publisher= South China Morning Post (print edition)|page =C1|date=16 February 2008
70. "Celebrity Sex Scandal". CNN. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-11.
71. Fowler, Geoffrey (15 February 2008). "'Sexy Photo Gate' Mesmerizes Hong Kong, China and Sparks Police Crackdown, Backlash". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-16. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
72. Joseph Sternberg (19 February 2008). "PhotoGate". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
73. "Cities Guide Hong Kong - News this month - X-Rated". Retrieved 2008-02-23.
74. "Sex scandal rocks Hong Kong". MSNBC. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
75. "China arrests over HK sex scandal". BBC News. 20 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
76. "China riveted by stolen sex photos of Hong Kong stars". The Guardian. 13 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-15.
77. "Un scandale ébranle le cinéma de Hongkong". Le Monde. 19 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-20.
78. "Chinas nackte Superstars". Spiegel Online. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
79. "Edison Chen Dumped From Movie". batgwa.com. 5 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-06.
80. "Edison Chen Dumped By Credit Card Company". batgwa.com. 10 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
81. "Edison Legislators and public viciously criticise waste of police manpower (議員市民狠批浪費警力)" (in Traditional Chinese). Apple Daily. 22 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
82. "Edison Reward: $91,000 for Edison's hand". Asiaone. 19 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
83. "Edison "$100,000 offered for sex scandal star's hand"". Ninemsn. 19 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
84. Mark Magnier (27 February 2008). "Hong Kong ogles, blushes". LA Times. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
85. Cable TV Hong Kong 香港有線電視. Entertainment news 02-06-2008.
86. "Disney retreats. Gillian may resume by redesigning image. (遭迪士尼撤宣傳 料重塑形象復出)" (in Traditional Chinese). hk.news.yahoo.com. 10 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
87. ""Twins concert postponed for 5 months" (Twins演唱會　押後五個月)" (in Traditional Chinese). Sina.com. 14 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
88. "Avalanche of complaints against Twins star". South China Morning Post. 18 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-18.
89. "BA declines to handle pop star complaints". RTHK. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-21.
90. "Stars linked to nude photos shut out of Games opening ceremony". South China Morning Post. 26 February 2008. p. C1. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
91. Vivienne Chow & Martin Wong (28 February 2008). "Stars offer HK$25 million over sex photos". South China Morning Post. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |Page= ignored (|page= suggested) (help)
92. ^ "Taiwan ese Divas Make a Move: Jolin Tsai & Elva Hsiao post TWD200M reward in challenge to Kira (台灣天后出招 -蔡依林、蕭亞軒懸紅二億挑戰奇拿)". Apple Daily. 27 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-27.
93. Nickkita Lau (February 19, 2008). "Govt acts on sex pics". The Standard. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
94. "Mags in the clear over nude pics". The Standard. 21 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-22.
95. """. South China Morning Post. 21 February 2008. p. C1.
96. Vince Chong (16 February 2008). "HK court frees suspect in sex-photo scandal: Charges dropped after tribunal finds cops wrongly classified photo as 'obscene'". The Straits Times. p. 8.
97. ^ "Baidu asked to apologize for spreading HK singer's pornographic photos". Xinhua. 19 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-19.
98. "BNNC Asks Baidu To Apologize For Nude Pictures". 19 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-02-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)

• Sex scandals
• Crime in Hong Kong
• 2008 in Hong Kong