Argentine lawmaker sentenced to prison for sucking partner's breast on camera

Juan Emilio Ameri, a former Argentine national lawmaker, who was caught on camera sucking his partner's breast, has been sentenced to prison for "causing disruption in the exercise of his duties."

Ameri gained global notoriety in 2020 after footage showed him fondling a woman sitting on his lap, pulling one of her breasts out of her T-shirt and kissing it while attending a videoconference session of Congress.

While the act was going on, a colleague lawmaker was making an address and other participants watching from home. At that time, proceedings were being held remotely to counter the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The incident sparked a national outrage leading to the lawmaker's suspension and his subsequent resignation as the recording became viral material on social media.

However, Ameri said he didn't realise he was connected to the internet at the time.

"Here in the centre of the country, the connection is very poor. My partner came out of the bathroom, and I asked her how her implants were doing and I kissed them because she had surgery ten days ago to have them put in," he explained a the dawn of crisis.

Court sentences former lawmaker

Meanwhile, a federal High Court in the South American country handed Ameri a one-month suspended prison term and two years of probation last Monday after he was convicted of creating a public disturbance.

The court ruled it was "evident that he knew his behavior could be noticed by the representatives of the people as well as by all those people who were watching the live broadcast of the debate," local media reported citing judicial sources.

Reacting to the judgement, the former lawmaker accused the media of plotting his downfall and vowed to appeal the ruling.

"The media destroyed me and I paid with my health. I must have thought of a hundred different ways to kill myself," Ameri told La Nacion newspaper.