Ismira Lutfia – Communications and Information Technology Minister Tifatul Sembiring has used an incident in which a teenager had sex with a cow in Bali as an example of why sex outside of marriage is a social problem.

Addressing a news conference convened to discuss the media's reporting of the ongoing Peterporn sex tapes scandal, the minister from the Islam-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) said sex outside of wedlock was not acceptable.

"Sex outside of marriage is a social problem," he said, citing as an example an 18-year-old teen's sexual encounter with a village cow and offender's marriage to the victim to cleanse the village.

He also said he disagreed that two sex tapes allegedly starring Peterpan frontman Ariel and current girlfriend Luna Maya, as well as a third allegedly featuring Ariel and Cut Tari, was a "private affair."

"I disagree that sex outside of marriage is considered to be a private affair because I am a man of religion," Tifatul said at the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology.

Sex out of wedlock is not a crime in Indonesia, though extramarital sex is. Ariel and Cut Tari could be charged under this law if police determine the celebrities were indeed those in the videos and if Cut Tari's husband lays a complaint with police.

Tifatul urged police, a representative of whom was at the media briefing, to investigate the case thoroughly. "This is a bad precedent. If it's really them in the video, I won't be the only person who will disappointed. They are the idols of more than 10 million teens in Indonesia," he said.

Tifatul also asked the television not to broadcast snippets of the sex tapes. "Even if the visuals are blurred the audience can still see the movements," he said.

Ahmad Ramli, chairman of the National Legal Development Agency (BPHN), said at the same event that if the sex tapes were made for private purposes, those who made the films could not be charged.

"According to the Anti-Pornography Law, if anyone makes a sex video for a private collection, he or she does not break the law. It's the people who distribute the videos who must be criminally charged," Ahmad said.

The minister also talked about the need to establish comprehensive laws to minimize the distribution of pornography in Indonesia. Police said they are continuing to investigate but could not comment on the progress of the case.