After reading the article written by Theodore T. Hodge, and after reading the press release issued by the Minister of Justice, I decided to come up with this article in total disagreement with every letter word in their publications. Here are my points, but first a brief look at the graphic description and analysis of the photo in question.

A Graphic Description and Analysis

In the 1970s and 1980s, I worked in the field of still photography, and from my experience, the following is my graphic description and analysis of the sex photo I saw.

1. The images and color of the photo are very sharp and clear, suggesting that the photo in question was taken with a modern still camera either by a fourth party participating in the sex jamboree or by Knuckles himself by setting the camera on a tripod in the room and using the delayed self-timer to snap the action. The shutter system was  set and used   professionally;
2. The distance used to snap the photo was selected and lens well focused to capture the images. The lightening system in the room for the shot was also well selected.
3. The sharp images of the photo also suggest that it was taken with the informed consent and knowledge of the parties.
4.  The three-some freak show and the back-door sex position, or the doggie style images captured in the photo suggests that Knuckles is a fan of porn stars.
5. Most older guys of Knuckles age like to prove to their male friends that they are sexually active and can have sex without Viagra. Therefore, probably the photo was deliberately taken by Knuckles to prove to his friends that he is sexually active and can have sex with two more girls without Viagra.
6. The body language of the three-some parties coupled with the relaxed 69-sex positions of the girls in the photo suggests that the sex was consensual.
7. The photo images show no evidence to substantiate the claims that Knuckles was setup under a hidden camera. The delayed time for the self-timer of a camera to allow the photographer to join the group photo is between 10-20 seconds. Thus, if a still camera was hidden in the room, how was the self-timer programmed to have waited for the parties to enter the room, undress, and get into action before snapping the photo?  Probably a probe will prove otherwise.

Why I Disagree With Hodge

In defending Knuckles, Hodge’s arguments were centered around the exact arguments used to defend Bill Clinton in his sex scandal with Monica Lewisky. Though Hodge did not directly mention Bill’s name, here is the brief story of that sex scandal.  When Bill was initially accused, he outrightly denied having sex with Monica. But on August 17, 1998, he went on TV and admitted having inappropriate relationship with the woman. However, the lawyers argued that the sex scandal was Bill’s private matter and violated no law but his marital vow. That, they argued, was left to be decided between him and his wife. At the end of day, the Senate yielded to the argument and Bill was held for lying under oath for initially denying having sex with Monica.

This means that sex is legal and private when it is held in privacy and remained in the private domain.  In contrast, sex is illegal and no longer private when it is held in privacy and surfaced in public to violate the rule of law. The U. S. Senate acquitted Bill Clinton on the ground that no part of his private sexual relationship contravenes the law. But in the case of Knuckles, the issue is far different, not even close. Bill private sex scandal never had photograph to undermine public decency, but Knuckles private sex scandal has photograph in violation of the law of public decency.  Bill private sex involved only one woman and no part of it violated the rule of law. In effect, the issue generated more public sympathy than public outcry. In contrast, Knuckles bizarre private sex involves two women and the sex photos violate the law of public decency. In effect, the issue appears to be generating more public condemnations than sympathy.

What the rule of law is concerned with in Knuckles case is not the sex scandal, but the appearance of the photos in public in violation of the law of public decency. In other words, in Bill Clinton case, the issue was sex scandal, whereas in Knuckles case, the issue is indecent photo scandal. If the issue was a mere rumor or ordinary news that he was caught in a sex intercourse with these girls, he could have cited his privacy rights and the issue would have turned to be a sex scandal. But the circulation of the photos on the streets combined with Knuckles admission of guilt completely stripped him of his privacy right, making him and his girls the prime suspects for violating the law of public decency.

Why I Disagree with Minister of Justice

We disagree with the Minister Justice for threatening to arrest the journalists that published the photo as well as those little guys selling the porno photos in the streets. Because we believe that the starting point of this arrest should have begun with Knuckles whose private sex photos appeared on the streets, especially after his admission of guilt to the sex scandal attached to the circulation of the photos. Or to be fair to the law, the arrest should have begun with Knuckles and his girls as well as those in possession of the sex photos. Knuckles and his girls should have been questioned as to who snapped the sex photo and how it leaked into the public. And those in possession of the photos should have been asked to only help the investigation in order to identify the source of the leak.

The point we are trying to make here is that Knuckles had no business in the first place to allow his private sex to be photographed. In real life, no photograph is ever taken to be secret. Once a person takes a photo, he should expect the copy to land in the hands of any third party and eventually end up in public. Therefore, since Knuckles has admitted being involved in this three-some sex, the Justice Ministry should invite him and his girls in order to investigate how their private sex photos entered the public domain and who took the photos. Inquiry should also be made as to whether the girls were paid for the sex party. Because there are rumors that commercial sex was involved in violation of the law against prostitution. Moreover,   three-some sex party is very rare in Liberian culture and therefore most people believe Knuckles took undue advantage of the post-civil war hardships and influenced the girls with US$ in order to win their willingness for this a bizarre sex show.

Concluding Comments

The appearance of the photos in public violates the law of public decency and brings down the wall that veils the privacy of his sex. Therefore, rather than mislead Knuckles into thinking that what he did hurts only  his family, he should be advised to turn himself to the law for investigation so that he can exonerate himself. And President Johnson-Sirleaf should continue to maintain her silence on the matter until the facts can be revealed. 

The Author : Mr. Arthur B. Dennis – Contact Email : korso2006@msn.com