Caught with their pants down

Two American women were deported yesterday and banned from returning to Cambodia for four years after they were caught snapping partially nude photos at one of the historical sites, The Phnom Penh Post reported.

The Apsara Authority, which manages the temples, is stepping up security and increasing printed warnings against desecrating temple ruins at the Angkor Archaeological Park.

American sisters, Lindsey Kate Adams, 22, and Leslie Jan Adams, 20, were charged by the Siem Reap Court for trafficking pornography and exposing sexual body parts after they were caught on Friday morning with their pants down at the remote Preah Khan temple, according to a statement released by Apsara, which manages the temples. Photos of the incident circulated on social media.

Both received six-month suspended prison sentences, were fined 1 million riel ($250) and were banned from entering Cambodia for four years after the Siem Reap provincial court handed down the verdict on Saturday. They were immediately deported after the hearing and sent by bus to Bangkok.

The incident comes on the heels of two photo scandals at the World Heritage Site, both of which have brought swift reactions from authorities. Three French nationals were deported after taking naked photographs on February 1, while on January 24, racy photos of a topless traditional dancer reclining on Angkorian ruins – the veracity of which are currently being investigated – surfaced on social media.

The Apsara has begun crafting flyers and signs cautioning tourists against acts that will desecrate the temple complex, the world’s largest religious monument.

Thai PBS

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