An American tourist is facing up to 12 years in prison in Indonesia for making porn and selling it over social media.

Taylor Kirby Whitemore, 31, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, allegedly trawled bars for local women on the popular holiday island of Bali.

He then recorded them - some of them allegedly without consent - before advertising the clips online and selling them over the Russian Telegram app.

Officers said they were tipped off about the posts and used facial recognition technology to identify Taylor through his airport immigration photos.

The backpacker was arrested in Bali on March 25 while boarding a plane to neighbouring Malaysia.

Whitemore was paraded by police on May 22, where officers gave details of the allegations against him.

Acting Director General of Immigration Yuldi Yusman said: 'Whitemore was known for traveling frequently across Southeast Asia. Before entering Indonesia on January 25, he had also been to Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur.

'This pattern of international movement raised further concerns for investigators.

'On March 25, immigration officers from the Ngurah Rai Intelligence and Enforcement Team arrested the suspect at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport while he attempted to leave Indonesia for Kuala Lumpur on Malindo Air flight OD172.

'He was later transferred to the Detention Room of the Directorate General of Immigration and has been held in prison in Central Jakarta since May 16.'

Police said that Whitemore used the X account @‌oliver_woodx to promote paid adult content. The account was linked to a Telegram group used to distribute the videos.

Officers identified several of the locations as being shot inside Indonesia, breaking the country's hardline Islamic laws.

Investigators claimed that digital forensic analysis confirmed Whitemore's ownership of the X and Telegram accounts.

They arrested him and seized an external hard disk allegedly packed with hundreds of pornographic videos.

Police claim that some encounters were recorded without full consent or under limited agreement.

They are now tracing the women in the content to identify whether they were involved in the production, which would make them liable for charges.

Investigators are also probing how large Whitemore's network reached.

Police chief Yusman added: 'Whitemore visited nightlife venues to find potential models to feature in his recordings.'

Officers said that Whitemore had been charged with visa offences. However, they are still investigating the more serious charges related to producing adult content.

Verico Sandi, Head of the Immigration Investigation Sub-directorate, said: 'Whitemore has been charged under Article 122(a) of Law No. 6 of 2011 on Immigration.

'We are committed to enforcing immigration laws and protecting Indonesia's dignity.

'Two Indonesian women who appeared in the videos were questioned as witnesses.

'Our focus at this stage is the visa violations and profit made from illegal activities.'

In Indonesia, the production and distribution of pornography is covered by Law No. 44 of 2008.

Under Article 29, Article 29, producing, making, duplicating, distributing, broadcasting, importing, exporting, offering, selling, or renting pornographic content can result in a prison sentence of up to 12 years along with a fine of up to IDR 6 billion or USD 375,000.