A 45-year-old married man admitted on Monday (Dec 22) to obtaining sexual services from a 14-year-old girl whom he first contacted online after posing as a female using stolen photographs.
Chew Koh Leong pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining sexual services from a minor and one count of attempting to procure an indecent act by a child according to Channel News Asia.
Four additional charges will be taken into consideration during sentencing, which is scheduled for March next year.
The identity of the victim cannot be disclosed due to a gag order.
At the time of the offences, Chew was married and working as a workplace safety and hygiene manager, the court heard.
Creation of Fake Online Accounts
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Delicia Tan, Chew first downloaded photos from a girl’s Facebook account between 2018 and 2019. He later used the girl’s name and photographs—without her permission—to create a fake Facebook profile.
“He did so as he wanted to use the fake account to make friends with other girls. He felt that it would be easier for him to make friends with girls, if he pretended to be a female,” said Ms Tan.
In 2022, Chew created a fake Carousell account using the same identity, the report added.
“He felt that it would be easier to hide this from his wife since it was a Carousell account, where people bought and sold things,” Ms Tan added.
In March 2022, Chew came across the victim’s Carousell listing offering a dress for S$18 (US$14).
Posing as a female buyer, he claimed his “brother” would collect the item and obtained the girl’s mobile number to arrange the transaction.
Chew then contacted the victim directly, introducing himself as the buyer’s brother. He asked personal questions about her family and background.
During these exchanges, Chew learned that the girl was in Secondary 2 and had not yet turned 14. Chew subsequently offered the girl money in exchange for sexual services. The court heard that the victim agreed to some requests because she needed money.
On or around Aug 2, 2022, Chew offered the girl S$400 to either perform a sexual act on him or allow him to kiss her.
She refused, as per the report.
In October 2022, the victim agreed to meet Chew. He touched her over her clothes inside his car, which was parked in a car park, and paid her S$150.
The incident was repeated in May 2023, this time in a stairwell at a car park, where Chew again touched the girl over her clothes and paid her S$150.
Police received information on Nov 15, 2023, about Chew engaging in commercial sex with a minor. He was arrested in December 2023.
Under Singapore law, obtaining sexual services from a minor under 18 carries a maximum punishment of seven years’ jail, a fine, or both.
For attempting to procure an indecent act by a child below 16, Chew faces up to seven years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both.
Image via Google for illustration
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