A 46-year-old Singaporean, Min Thein Kyaw, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison for luring approximately 50 women and teenage girls under the pretense of paid photo shoots, only to record intimate videos of them without consent.
The man, who worked for a software firm and was not a professional photographer, committed these offenses between 2011 and 2020, according to the Straits Times report.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE :
- Min Thein Kyaw lured approximately 50 women and teenage girls under the pretense of paid photo shoots, during which he recorded intimate videos, some without consent, and engaged in sexual acts.
- The victims, who were between the ages of 15 and 25, included minors, with specific cases highlighting a 12-year-old girl who received sexual text messages from Min.
- On January 17, 2023, Min, a 46-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, along with two strokes of the cane, after pleading guilty to 19 charges, including making obscene films and insulting a woman’s modesty.
- Min was arrested on August 13, 2020, after a victim reported him to the police. Authorities discovered nearly 800 obscene films on his electronic devices, including hard drives.
DETAILS OF THE CASE :
The victims, aged between 15 and 25, were approached through advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Min would entice them with offers of photography sessions, some of which involved lingerie modeling. Once they accepted his offers, he arranged photo shoots at various locations, including his home and a rented studio on Serangoon Road.
During these sessions, Min exploited the victims’ trust and naivety, pushing the boundaries of their agreements. He used both a camera and his mobile phone to capture photos and videos. Reports indicate that he manipulated some of the victims into sexual situations, including touching them inappropriately and, in some cases, engaging in sexual acts.
Notably, he recorded intimate videos of at least one victim, who was just 16 years old at the time.
One such victim, now 25, had posted in a Facebook group seeking a photographer for her portfolio. After communicating with Min, she participated in a photo shoot in December 2015, during which he blindfolded her and filmed their encounter without her knowledge, capturing 12 videos of the incident.
According to DPP, “Her face was visible in most of the videos, although the blindfold partially obscured part of her face. The accused did not ask (her) permission before recording videos.”
The 25-year-old victim was unknowingly filmed by Min during the photo shoot. Min subsequently paid her approximately $250.
Another victim, a 15-year-old secondary school student, was aware that her session in November 2016 would be “sexy.” During this session, Min performed an obscene act on her and recorded two obscene films before paying her an undisclosed amount, according to ST.
In a separate case, Min sent sexual text messages to a 12-year-old girl in July 2020, after she accepted his request to follow her on Instagram.
The crimes came to light when one of the victims reported Min to the police on August 12, 2020. Following his arrest the next day, authorities seized multiple electronic devices, uncovering nearly 800 obscene films on two hard disk drives.
On January 17, Min pleaded guilty to 19 charges, including insulting a woman’s modesty and making obscene films. In addition to his prison sentence, he was also ordered to receive two strokes of the cane. A total of 56 other charges were considered during his sentencing.
Defense lawyer Johannes Hadi recommended a sentence of two years, eight months, and 14 weeks’ imprisonment, along with two strokes of the cane, for Min. He argued that his client is remorseful for his actions.
Image via google for illustration
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