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Lewd Photo Scandal: San Diego couple arrested in Thailand

Friends of a San Diego couple fear the worst after the pair, known for their risqué travel photos, was caught up in a scandal overseas and disappeared.

SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) – Friends of a San Diego couple fear the worst after the pair, known for their risqué travel photos, was caught up in a scandal overseas and disappeared.

The couple, Travis Ti and Joseph Dasilva, took photos at Buddhist temples in Thailand, and the concern has grown on social media after a post said they were at a police station.

The San Diego couple known as Traveling Butts on Instagram has more than 14,000 followers on the social media platform. Their photos showcase themselves posing with their naked rear ends in front of landmarks across the globe.

Their most recent posts in front of Buddhist temples sparked outrage on social media after people called them ignorant and disrespectful.

The couple’s friend M.G. Perez said “They are a thing. They are hot on Instagram and on social media.”

After the pair posed in front of sacred Buddhist temples, they landed in hot water with police in Thailand.

Perez believes the two are in a Bangkok jail after seeing an alarming message on Facebook. “It says, ‘anybody have any connections with diplomats in Bangkok or know a lawyer in Bangkok?’ That was my wake up call. Like, 'Travis, what is going?'”

Ti and Dasilva posted their location at a Bangkok police station informing their friends they might soon be arrested while pleading for help.

After one of the men wrote “I don’t know how much longer I’ll have my phone,” the couple went dark.

Perez said the couple apparently lost communication. “They were messaging on Facebook earlier in the day. Then, that stopped. They have a huge community of friends around the world and so everyone is concerned.”

Of the risqué photographs Ti and Dasilva took in front of the temples, he said, “It is in no way any form of disrespect. It’s just their expression.”

In the meantime, friends have contacted Senator Diane Feinsten’s office. News 8 reached out to her office for comment, but did not receive one at the time of story’s publication.

The couple’s Instagram account has been taken down.

The Thai government released the following statement via a Facebook Post: 

"A gay American couple who author the Instagram page “Travelling Butts” has been arrested at Don Mueang International Airport for having taken photos showing their backsides with the respected Temple of the Dawn. A deputy spokesman for the immigration police said the charge would not be a normal public indecency charge. Instead, they would be charged with committing indecency in a place of worship, which carries a long jail term.This is a reminder that everyone should have respect for Thai religion and culture."

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