Women speak out after Dezral apologises over shared ‘voyeuristic images’

Three women are speaking out after Dezral Long, the reigning Power and Calypso Monarch, issued an apology acknowledging that he took what he described as “voyeuristic images” of them while they were out in public and shared them within an adult-content community on X (formerly Twitter).

In a joint statement shared with St Lucia Times, the women said they were unaware at the time that the photographs had been taken. One of the women first discovered an image of herself online before alerting the others. 

“After discovering the post, we began looking further into the account responsible. As we dug deeper, we found even more photos of women from our friend group who also had no knowledge that these images had been taken or shared,” they said. 

Upon discovering the images online, the women said they have been left feeling violated, anxious, and disgusted.

“Every woman involved has been deeply affected by this,” the statement reads further.

“We are also concerned that there may be other women who are unaware that similar images of them exist online.”

The women’s full statement has been reproduced below.

Long’s apology followed the circulation of screenshots shared online by an Instagram user, alleging that an X account linked to Long had posted the images. 

Although the screenshots have been censored, the images appear to focus on the women’s intimate lower body areas, particularly from behind. The screenshots also indicate that the images were uploaded to an adult-content community on X with more than 110 000 members by a user identified as @juliusintuition. Additional screenshots appear to show the account interacting on X in a manner suggesting it was linked to Long as far back as 2021. 

Following the circulation of the screenshots, Long issued the following public apology via his Instagram Stories:

“This is a public apology to [names omitted] for snapping and posting voyeuristic images of them to a public forum. It’s abhorrent and I take full accountability and consequence. Also apologizing to all friends, family and business for being involved in such a situation. I hope I can be forgiven. Thank you for your time,” Long wrote.

Long, who is also a teacher and the 2025 Road March champion, is scheduled to defend his titles at the National Soca Monarch competition on Friday, July 10, and the National Calypso Monarch competition on Saturday, July 11.

St Lucia Times has contacted Long for comment but has not received a response. 

Statement provided to St Lucia Times by the affected women:

Recently, one of our friends discovered an inappropriate photo of herself online that had been taken without her knowledge or consent. The image appeared to have been taken in a public place and focused on an intimate part of her body. She was understandably shocked, disgusted, and deeply distressed.

After discovering the post, we began looking further into the account responsible. As we dug deeper, we found even more photos of women from our friend group who also had no knowledge that these images had been taken or shared. One of the victims doesn’t even live in Saint Lucia; she was visiting the island on vacation. Instead of an enjoyable holiday, she has been left with an incredibly violating experience.

Every woman involved has been deeply affected by this. They have expressed feelings of violation, anxiety, and embarrassment knowing that images of their bodies were allegedly taken and shared without their knowledge. We are also concerned that there may be other women who are unaware that similar images of them exist online.

Our intention in coming forward is not to create unnecessary controversy but to highlight conduct that we believe deserves serious attention. Women should be able to enjoy a day out, attend events, or even visit our island on vacation without worrying that someone may secretly photograph them and share those images online for sexual purposes.

We are prepared to provide screenshots and other evidence supporting why we believe the account is connected to the individual identified above, and we hope this matter will be investigated thoroughly and treated with the seriousness it deserves.

The article Women speak out after Dezral apologises over shared ‘voyeuristic images’ is from St. Lucia Times.