A gay meteorologist in New York City who was allegedly fired after someone sent nude webcam photos of him to his employer and to his mother is pleading for his job back and accusing the sender of revenge porn.
Erick Adame, an Emmy-nominated meteorologist who has worked at Spectrum News NY1 since 2007, admitted in an Instagram post on Monday that he had secretly appeared and performed on an adult video website for other men while he was also employed at the TV station. He called the actions “100% consensual” on the part of everyone involved, apart from the incident where someone took screenshots of him without his knowledge. He said he was not paid for his appearances on the site and apologized for taking part.
But after his bosses received the screenshots of him, Adame was suspended and then fired last week, according to a petition for a subpoena of the webcam company filed by his lawyer Monday in New York County Supreme Court.
In his first interview since leaving Spectrum News, Adame told MSNBC host Stephanie Ruhle on Tuesday night that although some people might have felt offended when they learned about his involvement with the adult webcam site, he didn’t think that what he had done was wrong.
“I unequivocally do not apologize for being sex-positive and for being myself — for being an openly gay man,” he said.
Sept. 21, 202210:21
Adame, 39, said he never spoke at work about his involvement with the website, which is owned by Unit 4 Media Ltd. He also pointed to New York City Health Department guidance during the height of the pandemic that encouraged New Yorkers in March 2020 to “enjoy sex virtually” through activities including video dates, sexting and participating in chat rooms.
When asked by NBC News for comment, a Spectrum News source said company management worked with Adame for months following the webcam incident and prior to his departure. The source, who did not confirm whether Adame was fired by the company, said Adame’s departure had nothing to do with his sexual orientation and maintained the company fosters an inclusive environment. The source said the situation is more complicated than it appears but would not provide further details, citing privacy concerns.
According to the petition filed by Adame and his lawyer, an anonymous user of the video website took nude screenshots of Adame and sent them to his employer and to his mother in December, “with the intent of harassing, annoying, or alarming” him.
The petition says the user did not have Adame’s permission to share those “intimate” images. After learning the photos were taken, Adame reached out to Unit 4 Media and asked for more information about the user who shared the photos. However, even after the company indicated to Adame that it could potentially help identify the user, it refused to share that information without a subpoena, the document states.
In a statement to NBC News, Lawrence Walters, a lawyer for the webcam company, said the company’s policy is to comply with lawfully issued subpoenas and provide relevant user data when legally required.
“Capturing and disseminating user content without consent violates our client’s Terms of Service and forum Rules which may result in a suspension or banning of the offending accounts,” Walters wrote in an email.
The petition filed by Adame and his lawyer also asks the court to compel the company to share with Adame any documents or communications that could help identify the user. Adame accused the user of violating state revenge-porn laws, though it is unclear and dependent on the outcome of the petition whether he could or would sue the user.
“I’m a victim, whether that’s going to be classified as revenge porn or not,” Adame said.
New York City Council Member Erik Bottcher, who represents the Manhattan district where Spectrum NY1 is located, appears to agree.
“I stand in support of Erick Adame, who is the victim of someone who tried to destroy his life by sending nude photos of him to his employer and his mother,” he wrote in a tweet. Bottcher also included a link to the NYC Health Department’s safe sex and Covid-19 guidelines, which recommended New Yorkers “enjoy sex virtually” to help prevent the virus’ spread.
In his conversation with Ruhle, Adame acknowledged that, as a television personality, someone for whom the “rules can be different,” he may have had a “lapse in judgment.” But he also said that he felt as though his employers had old-fashioned expectations of him.
He wants his job back, he said.
“I didn’t commit a crime here,” he said. “What happened here is the other way around.”
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
