(CMR) Cayman Brac resident artist Ronald “Foots” Kynes has been acquitted of possession of obscene publication by Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn yesterday.
Arrested last July for several nude statutes on his property that according to the prosecution portrayed sexual acts Kynes maintained his innocence and said the prosecution was a witch hunt against him. Kynes represented himself in the two day trial held at teh Bra'cs Aston Rutty Civic Centre in April.
Magistrate Gunn did a site visit to Kynes' Cayman Brac property where she viewed the statutes for herself. She did not agree with the interpretation that the two states were overtly sexual in nature. She stated that the one that supposedly demonstrated women engaging in oral sex did not explicitly show any female genitals. As for the other statue, the judge said one woman’s head was simply resting on another woman’s chest, rather than depicting a sexual act.
She added that she did not think Cayman’s community would find the others sexual or obscene, “save for a very few prudish individuals.”
Gunn noted that whilst Caymanians are generally “god-fearing people” they also engaged in government sponsored events such as Batabano and Braccannal; which involve sexual depictions including women wining and grinding on men's crotches during these carnival events.
“This sets the tone of our moral standard of the islands,”
Magistrate Gunn said in her ruling.
Kynes will continue with his artwork and claims to have no ill will towards anyone.
“I have no animosity towards them, If you have hate in your heart, all you’re hurting is yourself.”
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