Photographer Diliza David Sent to Jail for Cybercrime Offences

October 30, 2025

Photographer Diliza David of Lot 11 Turkeyne, Greater Georgetown, has been sent to jail for several cybercrime offenses committed between December 2023 and January 2024 against Journalist Leroy Smith. The ruling was handed down on Thursday morning by Magistrate Annete Singh in Court 11 of the Georgetown Magistrates’.

Diliza David was hired by Smith in 2023 but fired in December of the same year after the quality of his work began to diminish, and several memos urging him to improve his work were not taken seriously.

After being fired, David was removed from the Work WhatsApp Group. However, before he was removed, he sent a series of voice notes alleging sexual assault by Smith and that he had the evidence in the form of text messages, Facebook messages, and voice notes to prove that he was sexually assaulted.

Several attempts were made to have David apologise for his untruthful remarks, but he refused. Mutual friends also reached out to both parties on the subject, but David stood his ground. Smith then moved ahead and filed private criminal charges against David in 2024.

There were two civil matters and two criminal matters that were filed by Leroy Smith against Diliza. With the ruling on Thursday, the records will reflect that Smith has received judgments in his favour on all the matters that he brought against Diliza David.

In Court today, the magistrate said that after listening to all the arguments, she is convinced that the accused was not telling the truth. The Magistrate also pointed out that David, through his counsel, provided no evidence to support his sexual claims, and as such found guilty of the offence as charged. He was also charged with cloning the mobile number of Smith and was found guilty of that offence too.

Magistrate Singh pointed out that throughout the court proceedings, she observed no remorse by the accused for the crimes he committed. She also denied granting the convict a suspended sentence, as was being begged for by his attorney. The Magistrate pointed out that the offences were serious ones that attract a very high fine and jail time.

“He who alleges must first prove, and there is no proof of anything just rather if I believe him or not, and the witness he brought in support, and I find I disbelieve him, I find them not to be credible. In the circumstances, I find the prosecution would have proven their case beyond a reasonable doubt for the offences charged, that is, two counts of using a computer system to coerce, harass, and intimidate a person. As such, I find the defendant guilty of the offences as charged,” Magistrate Annete Singh told the court in her ruling..

One of the civil proceedings which were filed against David saw mediation getting involved, and a settlement was arrived at where David had to compensate Smith for intellectual property in the form of videos and photographs that he had not returned to the company after being fired.

Before the matters ended up in court, the photographer was given many opportunities to apologize to Smith, even through mutual friends and legal counsel involvement, but he refused. However, when the matter went to court, Diliza could not produce any evidence to support the allegation he made against Smith.

David’s attorney begged the court for a suspended sentence, which was denied by the magistrate, who reminded counsel of the seriousness of the offences that were committed by the accused.

Diliza was given two months’ jail for each of the offences. However, they will concurrently which will see him only spending two months in jail.