"Though the defendant realized no monetary gain, he gravely invaded the privacy of others and breached the trust of his employer," he said.

Although there was no evidence to prove Sze was responsible for touching off the high-profile scandal by distributing the photos on the Internet, he did expose private information of others in an extremely dangerous situation, he added. The magistrate refused to grant bail pending appeal and ordered that Sze be jailed immediately.

Chief Inspector of Police Kenny Wong Tak-cheung said the judgment served as a warning to the public that it is a serious offense to use a computer dishonestly.

"Hong Kong Police is determined and capable of combating technological crimes," he added, reminding Internet users to be cautious about their behavior.

(China Daily May 14, 2009)