A teenager who deceived another youth into believing they were in a romantic relationship and coerced him into performing a series of degrading and harmful acts was sentenced to 21 months’ probation on Monday (Jan 12).
The offender, now 18, pleaded guilty earlier to one charge of cheating and one charge of extortion, with two similar charges taken into consideration.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS :
- Teen posed as a girl on Instagram to deceive another teenager into a fake romantic relationship.
- Victim was coerced into degrading acts, including soaking his genitals in chilli oil and rubbing salt on them.
- Accused recorded video calls and used the footage to extort money from the victim.
- S$2,450 was collected through staged cash drop-offs at a Tampines Mall bookstore.
- Court sentenced the accused to 21 months’ probation, citing low risk of reoffending and potential for rehabilitation.
Both he and the victim, also 18, were about 16 years old at the time of the offences and cannot be named due to a gag order that also protects details of their relationship.
According to Channel News Asia, the offences began in February 2023, when the accused created a fake Instagram account posing as a female.
Initially intended as a prank, the ruse escalated when he downloaded photos of girls from the internet to make the profile appear authentic and began communicating with the victim.
He engaged the victim in conversations about sexual fantasies and led him to believe they were in a romantic relationship.
The pair also had video calls, during which the accused kept his camera switched off while the victim showed his face.
Between February and December 2023, the accused manipulated the victim into carrying out degrading acts. These included soaking his genitals in chilli oil for two minutes and rubbing salt on them, drinking his own urine, performing sexual acts on camera, playing football while unclothed, and cutting and burning his hair with a lighter.
The victim was also coerced into eating butter and cheese even when he was unable to swallow any more. In addition, the accused tricked him into sending gift cards and cash amounting to S$390.
The prosecution said some of the acts were likely to cause bodily harm.
“The victim performed the acts as he believed that he was in a relationship with (the woman in the profile) and did so in order to make (her) happy. These were acts that the victim would not have done if he were not so deceived.”
The accused also recorded video calls with the victim and shared the recordings with another individual. Using the same fake profile, he later threatened to circulate the compromising videos unless the victim paid money.
Fearing exposure, the victim followed instructions to hide cash inside a book at a bookstore in Tampines Mall. The accused and the other individual would then collect the money and split the proceeds.
Between July and December 2023, a total of S$2,450 was collected across five occasions, CNA report added.
The victim lodged a police report on June 8, 2024, and the accused was arrested two days later. Court documents did not state how the victim discovered the deception.
Following his guilty plea, the teenager was assessed for probation and reformative training, both rehabilitative sentencing options for young offenders.
Reformative training is more severe and involves placement in a controlled environment, resulting in a criminal record.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Stephen Yeo urged the court to impose reformative training, saying the need for deterrence was “very clear” given the “very depraved” and unprovoked nature of the cheating offences.
However, defence lawyer argued for probation, saying his client was remorseful, had insight into his wrongdoing, and was committed to improving himself through further studies and National Service.
“The accused is truly remorseful for his actions and regrets the offences he has committed. He is dedicated to improving himself following these incidents, by furthering his studies and subsequently focusing on his National Service,” Mr Singh said.
He added: “It’s been a while since I saw a probation report this positive. I urge your honour to give him a chance, and I assure you he will not waste this chance,” stressing the teenager’s potential for reform.
District Judge Carol Ling ultimately granted probation, despite earlier expressing reluctance to do so. She described the teenager’s conduct as “highly reprehensible”, showing a “complete lack of empathy” and disregard for the victim.
“Make no mistake, the offences are serious,” she said, adding that while youth alone could not excuse such actions, there was room for rehabilitation in this case. She noted that both probation and reformative training reports assessed the accused as having a low risk of reoffending.
As part of his probation, the teenager must observe a curfew from 10pm to 6am, complete 110 hours of community service, and undergo counselling programmes as required. His parents were also ordered to post a S$5,000 bond to ensure his good behaviour.
Judge Ling warned that probation was “not a get-out-of-jail card” and said it could be revoked if the offender breached its conditions or reoffended, in which case reformative training could be imposed.
Under the law, cheating carries a maximum sentence of three years’ jail or a fine, or both, while extortion is punishable by between two and seven years’ imprisonment and caning.
Image via google
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