Singapore Sex News

She gets 12 months' probation for sex with own father

2012-01-30T17:16:00.000+08:00

The first woman to be convicted of incest was placed on 12 months' probation on Monday.

The 24-year-old accused was 20 at the time when she had consensual sex with her father, a 48-year-old plumber, at their home in April 2008.

He is now serving three years behind bars for a similar offence.

The court heard that the woman, then a technical executive, had been accompanying her father to coffeeshops since 2006 to meet his friends for drinks. They became close over time to the point of touching and fondling each other's private parts when they were alone in the flat.

One night in April 2008, after both got home from a drinking session, an argument broke out when she showed little interest in her father who was trying to speak to her while she was checking her email on the laptop. Her mother was not in.

She eventually apologised, gave him a hug and both caressed each other.

They had sex.

The matter came to light a week later when her friend called the police after the accused had sent her a text message.

Her lawyer S. S. Dhillon had said in mitigation last November that she had had a very traumatising childhood.

Since young, he said his client, a diploma graduate, had witnessed her father - a drunkard and a womaniser - bashing her mother and flagrantly having an affair with the maid.

During her probation, the accused has to live with her maternal aunt and attend therapy sessions with a psychiatrist.

The maximum penalty for the offence is five years' jail

- The Straits Times

Serial peeping tom caught again

2012-01-27T02:58:00.000+08:00

A serial peeping tom has been caught again after he snuck into a female toilet and peeped at a woman in Kallang MRT station earlier this month.

Odd job worker Choo Ah Lui, 53, has a string of at least 10 prior convictions dating back to 1988 for similar offences of criminal trespassing and intrusion of privacy.

Using the same modus operandi as he did in previous convictions, Choo allegedly snuck into a female toilet and hid in a cubicle on Jan 9. He then tried to peep at a 26-year-old woman who works in the food and beverage industry when she entered the cubicle next to him.

If convicted of criminal trespassing, Choo could be jailed for up to three months and fined up to $1,500. For insulting the modesty of a woman, he could face up to one year in jail and a fine.

- The Straits Times

Man jailed, caned for molesting woman

2012-01-18T19:11:00.000+08:00

A 31-year-old woman agreed to accompany a man she met online to a budget hotel, after he reassured her they were just going there to "kiss".

Little did she know that 37-year-old Ng Han Tong had more in mind, including sex.

For that, the former IT system analyst, was sentenced to three years jail and six strokes of the cane, after he pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a reduced charge of aggravated molest.

Ng, who is married, got to know the woman through online social networking site Facebook in January 2010.

The court heard that they started exchanging explicit chats and Ng was under the impression she was "willing to have sex with a male friend that she was comfortable with."

Two months later on March 5, 2010, Ng suggested going to a hotel to "kiss" - which the woman agreed to.

After having drinks at a pub, they proceeded to Hotel 81 at Jiak Chuan Road, where they kissed and Ng started to undress her, despite attempts to push him away. Ng then proceeded to have unprotected sex with her.

The woman left the hotel angry and told her friends the next day that she had been raped. A police report was made.

Ng's lawyer, Mr R S Wijaya, said Ng had "acted in a moment of folly" and assumed the woman was "comfortable to have sex". However, Deputy Public Prosecutor Sabrina Choo disputed this, saying her agreeing to the kiss should not be inferred as consent to have sex.

A psychiatric report revealed Ng suffered from an adjustment disorder and was stressed over the inability to conceive with his wife.

The court heard Ng coped with these tendencies in a "dysfunctional way" such as drinking and contacting women he knew online and in pubs.

For his offence, Ng could have been sentenced up to ten years jail and caned.

- Channel News Asia

Man jailed for sex without disclosing HIV status

2012-01-18T19:08:00.000+08:00

A man infected with HIV was today sentenced to 18 months jail for engaging in sex with his male partner without first informing him of the infection.

The 27-year-old and his partner, now 37, had engaged in oral and anal sex in January 2009. All parties in the case cannot be named as there is a gag order in place.

The accused was diagnosed with HIV in March 2008 and did not inform his partner despite being aware of the consequences of his actions.

A local broadcaster reported that the offender had found it difficult to tell his partner because he was afraid his social circle would abandon him.

He reportedly told the court that he did not intend to harm his partner but wanted to protect himself.

He also said he was on medication when he met his victim and that his condition was allegedly under control. He added that they had protected sex.

His partner has since been diagnosed with HIV but the prosecution could not confirm that the accused had infected him, The Straits Times reported.

The English language daily also reported that the accused pleaded for leniency. He told the court that he was supporting his mother who is ill and also needs to make money for his future medical expenses.

Calling the nature of the offence grave, District Judge Siva Shanmugam said the accused had endangered the safety of others for his own selfish reasons.

The maximum punishment is two years' jail and a $5,000 fine.

- AsiaOne

Blackmailed after cybersex

2012-01-18T18:59:00.003+08:00

The woman claimed to be a Singaporean living overseas. Last month, "Celine" contacted William (not his real name) through social networking site Tagged.

At first, they left each other messages. Soon after, they exchanged e-mail and chatted on MSN.

In one of the chats, Celine, who claimed to be in her 20s and living in Hong Kong, suggested they have cybersex.

Since he had seen her in person via his web camera, William said he didn't have reason to doubt her sincerity.

He said it was "odd" that a woman claiming to be Singaporean "spoke with a Filipino accent".

"But I thought it was for fun and stupidly didn't think much of it as we progressed along," confessed the 20-year-old student.

William claimed that while they were chatting, Celine began taking off her clothes and suggested they have cybersex.

He complied and started masturbating.

Later, Celine asked William for his e-mail address, presumably to add him as a friend on Facebook.

He accepted her Facebook friend request, but was shocked when she later sent him a text file with a list of all his friends on Facebook.

Celine then threatened him: Wire transfer $1,000 to a Western Union account or she would send to his friends a video clip of William masturbating, which she said she had recorded earlier.

She apologised for "blackmailing" him, claiming she needed the cash urgently to help her family.

Said William: "I couldn't afford that amount... (But) I asked for the details (on the pretext that he wanted) to transfer the money. I ignored her after that and never heard anything from her any more."

He did not make a police report, but deactivated his Facebook account. Celine's Tagged account has since been deactivated too.

"It was a stupid thing to do, but it is a lesson learnt," William said sheepishly.

The scam is said to be spreading quickly on Tagged, a social networking site similar to Facebook.

The site, which was founded in 2004, allows members to browse the profiles of other members, play games and share virtual gifts.

In some cases, the swindler asks for money, saying she has to get out of a bad situation or to help family members pay for medical expenses.

There have also been reports of Tagged users being offered entry into an "exclusive group sex club with top Asian models".

To join, all the user has to do is to disclose his credit card details.

Cyber experts told The New Paper that there have been cases of scammers gaining access to a victim's private details simply by getting hold of that person's e-mail address.

Mr Patrick Lim of cybersecurity provider Ademco Security Group said users should always err on the side of caution when confronted with such offers.

This is especially important as more scam operators continue to use fictitious personas to lure people into sending them money.

"These operators are trained to do social engineering and to trick you into revealing your personal information," he said.

"You should never compromise your position when you are chatting online with people you do not know, especially when there is a danger of the other party recording whatever it is you are doing online," added Mr Lim.

While William said he emerged from the encounter relatively unscathed, others have not been so lucky.

A 38-year-man who works in the service industry admitted he was duped by a woman he met on Tagged last July.

Rashid (not his real name) said he did not report the incident to the authorities.

He said: "I came across the girl's profile, we exchanged e-mail (addresses) and started chatting."

On one occasion after they had cybersex, the woman threatened to send a video clip of Rashid masturbating to his Facebook contacts.

"I should not have given her my Facebook address.

"She said she needed the money for her family and I foolishly wired $500 over with the promise that she would meet me when she came to Singapore. I never heard from her again," he said.

The woman's Tagged profile was deactivated a day after he transferred the money.

A search on the Internet revealed that other men have also fallen victims to such women, believed to be foreigners, on Tagged.

On online forum Sammyboy, a netizen nicknamed Big2 claimed he fell prey to the Tagged scam last year.

He wrote: "She gave me two choices: Wire over money to her by the next morning through Western Union to (the) Philippines or face the wrath of the (cybersex) video being uploaded and sent to my friends."

"To save myself from the humiliation, I had no other choice and wired money to her."

When contacted, a police spokesman said members of the public are advised to be cautious when dealing with unknown persons over the Internet.

"Anyone who encounter such incidents should report the matter to the police immediately," said the spokesman.

But understandably, not many victims of such scams would be willing to come forward, especially since online solicitation is illegal in Singapore.

As Rashid explained: "Basically, I gave money on the promise of sex in return... How am I going to tell the authorities that?

"At least it's a scam, so I'm glad my wife won't find out about this."

Want to join sex club? Give card details

FANCY an entry into an "exclusive group sex club with top Asian models"?

A user on social networking site Tagged made this offer to men last week.

The New Paper understands that to sign up, all the interested applicants have to do is to hand over their credit card details to pay for a one-time joining fee.

TNP found two such offers made by users "Party Girl" and "Agnes C" on Tagged last week.

Both women, who claim to be Asians, said they are seeking members for an upcoming swingers party.

Those interested had to message the women for details. Both profile pages gave away little information about their owners.

But both feature pictures of their owners in seductive poses.

In a post on her profile page last Friday, Agnes C said: "Lets go to swinger party have fun fun fun".

When TNP, posing as a potential client, contacted Agnes C, we received a reply.

However, Agnes C declined to supply full details in the message, preferring instead to chat with this reporter via MSN.

But she stopped communication when we asked her to e-mail us the details.

Party Girl, who also replied to this reporter's queries, wrote in a message sent via Tagged: "I'm not going to send the site where you can get your member id pass... cause im just follow (sic) and respect the Tagged rules."

However, she claimed that the sex parties will be held at the Marriot hotel till March.

So far, there are no reports of anyone joining the sex parties.

Could this be a scam?

Netizens certainly think so, and some online users on popular forums like Sammyboy are cautioning potential users about revealing their credit card details to unknown sources.

One of them, going by the online nickname "goodpartner", said on the forum: "They'll say it's just a one-time small fee (eg buy the cheapest $25 package) on your credit card to see them live on video, which she claim (sic) is the only way you can see her."

But be careful because "you could be charged with amounts you cannot dispute with the banks", warned the forum user.

- The New Paper

'Eee, gay': Teacher's shocking f-word response

2012-01-17T00:18:00.000+08:00

She made a remark about her male teacher in jest. But his crude response left her shocked and shaken.

The incident between Denise (not her real name), 17, and her teacher took place last month during a performance trip to Hong Kong with the school's choir. The teacher is one of those in charge of the choir.

The New Paper was alerted to the incident on Wednesday by Denise's elder sister, 20, who declined to be named.

According to her, Denise had seen the teacher behaving in a "childish manner" during the trip and remarked: "Eee, gay."

She was not prepared for the teacher's outburst, which was heard by at least one other student.

The sister said he turned on Denise and retorted: "Do you want me to **** you to prove it?"

In an e-mail exchange with TNP from the US where she is studying, Denise's sister said she was "appalled and disgusted" by the teacher's response.

"A man, more so an educator, should be responsible for his actions and his words," she said. This teacher is not the only educator to hit the headlines for behaving unprofessionally.

In Denise's case, the principal of the school, which is based in the east, told TNP yesterday that the teacher had been counselled and given a stern warning.

"The well-being of our students is our top priority. The school views this case seriously," he said.

The principal added that the school has provided counselling for Denise, and will continue to provide the necessary support and assistance to her family.

The sister said she noticed that something was wrong when Denise returned from the HK trip quiet and downcast. After a day of persuading, Denise opened up about what happened.

Said her sister: "She was shaken after being challenged inappropriately by a male educator."

That day, after breaking down in tears, Denise managed to speak about the incident to another male teacher on the trip. He assured her that the matter would be settled.

But the school did not initiate contact with the family after the incident, said Denise's sister. After about a month's wait, her mother e-mailed the school on Wednesday.

A few hours later, the principal replied via e-mail that it was "unfortunate that the trip was marred by the incident".

He said he was informed of the incident immediately after the choir returned from Hong Kong.

"An internal investigation was launched. The teacher admitted that he had used inappropriate language and would not commit the same mistake again," he said.

The principal also said that the school "will not condone inappropriate use of language by any of our staff, and will take all necessary action to prevent the repeat of similar incidents".

He has since arranged a meeting on Jan 30 with Denise and her family to close the case.

The sister said Denise has "moved on" and is no longer affected, although the episode will not be easily forgotten.

"She does not want to see that male teacher," she said.

The possibility of their paths crossing again is slim because Denise has left the school after collecting her O-level results earlier this week.

The sister added that she had alerted TNP to the incident because she did not want other teenage girls who faced similar issues in school to keep silent.

In one of her e-mails to TNP, she also expressed her frustration about the situation: "Is this how the Ministry of Education (MOE) chooses its teachers?"

In response to TNP's queries on the incident, an MOE spokesman said: "MOE expects our teachers to conduct themselves in a manner that upholds the high standing of the profession and the trust placed in them.

"Teachers should be professional in their interactions with their students at all times.

"Teachers who fail to comply with our standards of conduct and discipline will be subjected to disciplinary action."

The spokesman said the school principal had handled the situation appropriately.

In Singapore, what the teacher did is an offence under the Penal Code.

Section 509 states that individuals intending to insult the modesty of any woman by saying any word, making any sound or gesture, or exhibiting any object, can be jailed up to one year, fined, or both.

Lawyer Samuel Seow from Samuel Seow Law Corporation said in Singapore, it is also an offence under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act.

Section 13A states that any person who in a public or private place who uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards another person, with intent to cause that person to believe that immediate unlawful violence will be used against him, can be fined up to $2,000.

- The New Paper

Man fined for threatening to send ex-girlfriend's topless photos

2012-01-17T00:13:00.001+08:00

A man who threatened to send incriminating photos of his former girlfriend to her family was fined $1,000 today.

Odd-job labourer Soh Kok Hin, 55, had taken topless photos of his ex-girlfriend, a 48-year-old hairdresser, in his car when they were still in a relationship, reported The Straits Times.

When she broke up with him in 2009 after six years of dating, he was unable to accept it. He called her and sent her SMSes to ask why she ended the relationship.

She ignored his repeated attempts to communicate with her.

Finally, in April 2010, he sent her this message while she was at work: 'The photos we took together in the handphone and the photos of your breasts, I will hand over to your family and your brother.'

She then filed a police report. When questioned, Soh admitted that he had done it.

He pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal intimidation with another count considered during sentencing at district court.

- AsiaOne

Jail, fine for overstayer who offered sex bribe

2012-01-13T21:35:00.001+08:00

A Chinese national who was caught for overstaying tried to get out of it by bribing a police officer with sex.

Guo Cheng Cheng, 25, was jailed eight months and fined S$3,000 for the offences.

The unemployed woman caught the attention of the police when she was allegedly involved on an assault on Nov 22 last year on New Bridge Road.

Police officers who arrived on the scene asked Guo for her identification documents. Her social visit pass was found to have expired by more than a year.

Guo was informed by Sergeant Tong Ee Phor that she would be arrested and taken back to the police station.

She then pleaded for her release by telling Sgt Tong she would "do anything for him, including offering her body".

She continued with her pleas all the way to the police station, where she was told she would be arrested for bribery as well.

In her mitigation plea, the court heard that Guo "had no idea what kind of punishment awaited, and at the moment of folly succumbed to such a foolish act".

Guo, whose father is retired and mother a housewife, will return to China after completing her sentence here.

- TODAY newspaper

Students caught in the act in uniform

2012-01-13T18:07:00.001+08:00

Yet another student couple has been caught behaving intimately in public, based on latest photos contributed to citizen journalism site STOMP on Jan 12.

Inappropriate teacher-student relationships may be the hot-button topic recently, but girl-boy relationships among students have always been a point of contention among parents and educators.

More than a simple question of should they or shouldn't they be in relationships at such a young age, students in uniform have been caught in public displays of affection on more than one occasion, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those who witnessed them.

In one such case last year, a pair of underaged teenagers in uniform were spotted making out on the rooftop of an HDB carpark. Another couple was also snapped kissing and hugging while sitting on a breakwater at East Coast Park. This happened on a weekday afternoon, prompting the observer to question why they were there, instead of going home after school.

Photos of students in uniform getting intimate in public have been appearing on STOMP more than a year ago, courtesy of contributors. But are their actions getting more brazen?

A latest post on STOMP by a reader featured two students kissing and behaving intimately at a playground in front of her block of flats. Said the resident: "I saw two students behaving intimately at the foot of my block. The guy was groping the girl. I couldn't believe my eyes." According to the resident, the students carried on behaving in the same manner for at least two hours, moving across different areas of the deserted playground.

Are the increasingly common public displays of affection a sign of shifting values among the young?

In a 2010 news report, educators that the New Paper spoke to noted the trend of students being more open in public and said that it is "irreversible". They also blamed the media for the change in attitude. While before, students may be caned for getting caught making out in public, now they may get let off with just a warning, said one teacher.

Counsellors call for sex education revamp

2012-01-11T18:37:00.000+08:00

Youth counsellors have called for sexuality education in schools to start earlier and to be more specific.

Ms Rachel Lee, who heads Fei Yue Family Service Centre, which conducts sexuality education courses in several schools, said it should start at lower-primary level, given that children hit puberty earlier now.

She added: 'When dating couples get more intimate, some guys will come up with all sorts of explanations for not having to worry about pregnancy after sex.'

The Straits Times polled youth workers for their reactions to Tuesday's court case, in which a 15-year-old girl said she had believed her boyfriend when he told her his menthol cigarettes would kill his sperm.

Ms Lee said she had not heard of cigarettes being used as a contraceptive, but that many such myths are floating around.

Youth Guidance Outreach Services senior social worker Wang Kim Meng said sexuality education must reach out to at-risk youth and that 'it's clear the girl didn't take in the right information on the physiological aspects of sex'.

A call was also made for sexuality education to be less abstract. Psychologist Daniel Koh of Insights Mind Centre said: 'The programmes need to include more real-life scenarios and case studies, so teens can relate to these and apply them to the situations they are in.'

The Education Ministry's sexuality education programme is taught by approved external vendors to upper-primary pupils through to students of junior colleges and centralised institutes.

The programme looks at sex in the context of a heterosexual married couple, and promotes abstinence as the best option for teens. It also teaches teenagers how to say no to sexual advances and gives them information on the risks of contracting sexually transmitted infections.

Ms Lee called for parents of primary school children to be taught to talk to their kids about sex, and for primary schools to run orientation programmes for parents so they learn to do so age-appropriately.

Ignorance of sexuality is not the sole province of the young. A Bayer HealthCare study last September revealed that a third of Singaporeans polled said they had been given the wrong information on contraception. Some women said rinsing their private parts with Coca-Cola or staying upside down after sex would stave off unwanted pregnancies.

- The Straits Times

Teen on 1-year probation for deceiving minor into having sex

2012-01-11T02:37:00.001+08:00

A teenager told his girlfriend that they could have unprotected sex as the menthol in the cigarettes he smoked would have killed his sperm.

This was just a teenage myth and the 15-year-old girl became pregnant.

On Tuesday, Peter Mark Ng Jia Jun, now a full-time national serviceman, was placed on probation for a year.

He had pleaded guilty in December to having sex with a girl below the age of 16 years in 2010.

A district court heard Ng was then 19 years old and unemployed. The girl, 15, was a secondary school student.

They got to know each other in early March that year and started going steady soon after.

The girl had told Ng that she was turning 16 later that year but this did not stop him from having sex with her.

The first time was in a toilet sometime in March 2010.

She had asked him then why he did not use a condom and he told her that he smoked cigarettes and the menthol in them would kill off his sperm.

She believed him and they had unprotected sex on two other occasions in Ng's flat in March and April.

- The Straits Times

Worker charged with molesting man

2012-01-11T02:34:00.001+08:00

An odd-job worker stood in the dock on Monday, his head bowed and hands clasped in front of him, listening as he was formally accused of an offence seldom heard of here - that of outraging the modesty of a man.

Lim Chye Thiam, 54, was charged with two counts of using criminal force and squeezing his 21-year-old victim's privates. The offence allegedly took place in the void deck of a block in Teban Gardens last month.

The Straits Times understands that the pair did not know each other previously. Lim is out on police bail and is next due in court next month.

Lawyer Irving Choh, who is uninvolved in the case, said such cases are rare, and that he has come across only one other in his 18 years in practice.

- The Straits Times

Modelling agency's 'topless' calendar reveals mindset change?

2012-01-11T02:29:00.003+08:00

A modelling agency's 2012 calendar has got the all-clear from the authorities even though it has a picture of a topless model.

The photograph for April shows two topless models posing on a bed. One has her top covered by her arms, but the other model's breasts are plain to see.

The calendar was sent out by Upfront Models to its partners and contacts.

The agency declined to say how many calendars were made or distributed and attempts by The Straits Times to reach Mr Watson Tan, director of Upfront, were unsuccessful.

The Media Development Authority (MDA) - which regulates the publications industry - does not find the calendar objectionable.

It told The Straits Times on Monday that it received the calendar for review last Wednesday.

Criteria for review include target viewership, mode of distribution and the character of the publication.

'Having assessed the content and applying these factors in totality, we do not find the calendar to be objectionable,' said director for contents and standards Amy Chua.

She added that the publications industry is largely self-regulated and importers and distributors are expected to be responsible for what they circulate.

Under the Undesirable Publications Act, a publication is deemed objectionable if the MDA finds the depiction of sex likely to be injurious to the public good. A person found guilty of making, importing or distributing such a publication may be fined up to $5,000 and/or imprisoned for up to one year.

Experts contacted say the modelling agency might have done its calendar to generate some buzz among its clients.

Assistant Professor Augustine Pang, from Nanyang Technological University's Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, noted that MDA's stand on this might signal a relaxation of how the law is interpreted.

He said: 'It appears that they are opening up, allowing pictures taken creatively to be excluded from enforcement.

'That is probably in line with the recognition of the changing mores of society.'

- The Straits Times

Man jailed for commercial sex with underage girl

2012-01-09T20:17:00.001+08:00

A man who had sex with an underage Vietnamese girl in return for a $150 payment was jailed for four months on Monday.

Han Yam Meng, 35, had admitted having commercial sex with the 17-year-old girl at Min Wah Hotel in Geylang on June 15 last year.

A district court heard that the senior technical engineer met the victim at a pub in Geylang Road on June 14. While chatting, she told him that she was 19.

A member of the staff at the pub approached her and asked for her passport. She was told to leave as she was underage.

She then went to a coffeeshop where Han later approached her and asked again for her age. She said she was 18 and he took her word for it.

He then asked if she wanted to go to a hotel with him. She agreed. They checked into a room at Min Wah Hotel for sex.

They were subsequently arrested as they were leaving the hotel together.

He could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for commercial sex with a person below 18 years old.

- The Straits Times

Serial paedophile sentenced to 18 years' preventive detention

2012-01-04T18:15:00.000+08:00

A serial paedophile, with convictions dating back to 1988, was sentenced to 18 years' preventive detention for performing fellatio on a 11-year-old boy.

Sikendar Sellamarican, 51, committed the offence barely two years after his release from prison in 2008 after serving a 20-year sentence for sodomising a 13-year-old boy in 1994.

In passing sentence on Wednesday, District Judge Mathew Joseph said that Sikendar was a real danger to young boys and should be locked away for a long time.

Sentences for preventive detention - a harsher prison regime designed for repeat offenders that are a danger to society - could be from seven to 20 years with no remission for good behaviour.

Sikendar had pleaded guilty in November to sexually abusing the boy at a building along Syed Alwi Road on two occasions between Jan 1 and May 1, 2010.

He had approached the victim and his friend, then 13 years old, at a playground and offered them food from McDonald's. They ate while seated outside a shop that had closed for the night.

Sikendar then committed the offence on the boy, who has an IQ of 57. The normal range is 90-110. Meanwhile, the boy's friend, who witnessed the start of the incident, left while the offence was committed.

The victim and the same friend spotted him on May 1 and the friend called the police.

Sikendar was arrested on May 12, 2010.

- The Straits Times

Product manager by day, pole dancer at night

2012-01-04T18:12:00.002+08:00

By day, Miss Putt Chwee Rong, 28, is a medical product manager.

But come night fall about three times a week, she strips off her office attire and dons something a lot skimpier for her other passion – pole dancing.

She is among the hundreds of women, and a handful of men, flocking to dance studios to pick up the dance.

The New Paper photojournalist Benjamin Seetor followed Miss Putt as she got ready for her big performance at the Bobbi's Pole Studio's Amateur Night 2011 at St James Power House on Dec 19.

- The New Paper

Man jailed for commercial sex with underage prostitute

2012-01-03T18:35:00.001+08:00

A former Singapore Land Authority (SLA) executive who paid an underage prostitute $100 for sex was jailed for nine months on Tuesday.

Kum Ching Tiong, 57, slept with the 16-year-old Vietnamese girl at a Geylang hotel even though he harboured suspicions about her age, the court heard.

The father of two started chatting to the teenager at a pub in Joo Chiat in July last year. When she told him she was 20, he did not believe her and asked to see her passport. She refused.

Yet, he still swopped numbers with the girl after she quoted him $100 for 'short-time sex'. She later called him and they ended up at Meng Yew Hotel.

Kum - who quit recently as a land and estate executive with the SLA - pleaded guilty to having commercial sex with the 16-year-old.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Fu Qijing said the onus was on grown men to exercise caution and check the age of their sexual partners.

He said Kum must have suspected the girl was below 18 when she refused to show him her passport. He added that the former executive had been going to pubs in Joo Chiat with his friends since 2009 and was often accompanied by Vietnamese hostesses.

Kum's lawyer Teo Choo Kee said his client was going through a messy divorce at the time and deeply regretted his mistake. He said he was not a sexual predator and had lost his family and his job.

Kum could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.

The girl came here to work as a prostitute in September 2010 after her cousin told her it would be 'very lucrative', the court heard. She was taken in by a Vietnamese woman called Nhi in Geylang in return for a payment of $700. The teenager began working as a pub hostess, losing her virginity to a customer after Nhi introduced them.

She returned to Vietnam a month later but came here again on a number of occasions to work as a freelance prostitute. The girl was arrested in Geylang last July for suspected vice.

- The Straits Times

Man jailed for molesting girl in forest

2012-01-03T18:31:00.002+08:00

A sex attacker who tore off a teenager's clothes and chased her into a dark forest was jailed on Wednesday, 15 years after the crime.

Tan Leng Hwa had taken the terrified 16-year-old to a deserted stretch of woodland in Mandai late at night and tried to force himself on her. She fled naked into the bushes, where she hid until he gave up looking and drove off. Tan turned himself in about two weeks later, but jumped bail before the case was heard.

On Tuesday, the 58-year-old was sentenced to four years in jail after pleading guilty to using criminal force to molest the teenager. He will serve a further two months for jumping bail.

Tan befriended the secondary school student and her friends about six months before the attack in 1996, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Davyd Chong.

On the day it took place, he offered to be their chauffeur, driving them wherever they wanted. By 11pm, he had dropped off her four friends. He then took the victim to Lorong Asrama, off Mandai Road, telling her he was looking for some friends who were gambling there.

But when they arrived, the forested area was deserted. Tan parked the car and asked the teenager to be his girlfriend. She refused, but he kept kissing and groping her. He also took away her spectacles, leaving her unable to see clearly.

When she climbed out of the car, he followed her and pulled off all her clothes. To escape his advances, the teenager claimed she was having her period. But Tan carried on molesting her until she broke free and fled into the bushes. He followed, but could not find her in the darkness. Only when he had left did she dare to come out.

Unable to find her clothes, the teenager had to cover herself with a discarded newspaper. She ran to the main road to seek help, but the first driver she tried to stop ignored her. The girl then approached the gate of an army camp, but it was unmanned.

After more than an hour, she finally managed to stop a taxi. She used the cabby's shirt to cover herself for the drive to a police post. A check-up later revealed multiple bruises all over her body and she was put on three days' medical leave.

Tan, who was 42 at the time, surrendered himself to the police. He was charged in March 1997, but jumped bail two months later and went into hiding. He later fled to Malaysia, where he took part in a kidnapping with the help of three Malaysian accomplices. All four were arrested in January 2010 and jailed for restraining a person without permission. Tan was extradited to Singapore in July last year.

On Tuesday, he also pleaded guilty to stealing a $60,000 car in April 1998. This charge was taken into consideration.

DPP Chong said Tan's previous convictions included theft and armed robbery, for which he was jailed for eight years and caned 20 times in 1975. He was also convicted of having a gun without a licence in 1986.

DPP Chong said it was lucky that Tan was unable to find the girl in the jungle. 'Still, the trauma, anguish and physiological impact she suffered would certainly leave her scarred for the rest of her life,' he added.

The maximum sentence for using criminal force to molest a victim is 10 years in jail and 24 strokes of the cane. Tan escaped being caned as he is aged over 50.

- The Straits Times

Serial offender pleads guilty to molestation and theft

2012-01-01T00:57:00.000+08:00

A 32-year-old man pled guilty yesterday to outrage of modesty, criminal trespass, housebreaking, and theft.

Chan Wei Kiat had entered a woman's house at Pasir Panjang early in the morning in September and molested her as she slept, reported The Straits Times.

The woman, who works as a teacher, did not panic and tried to lure him into another room in the house so that she could lock him up while she made a police report.

Chan fled from the scene after sensing that something was amiss. Despite running away, the police tracked him down and he was linked to several other crimes.

He had entered another house in Pasir Panjang and stole a wallet and a mobile phone on April 3 at about 2.20am. The items he stole amounted to $1,170.

Chan sold the stolen mobile phone for $80 and used the rest of the money for his personal expenses.

He had also attempted to break into another house in Jalan Mas Kuning the following evening, but was unsuccessful.

Chan first got into trouble with the law in 1995 for rioting, and has been jailed and caned for several offences like criminal intimidation, drug consumption and robbery.

The Straits Times reported that Chan, who is currently being held in remand, pled for leniency and a short jail term as he wants to be with his daughter on her first day of school in January 2013.

He will be sentenced on Feb 2.

- AsiaOne

Police arrest 27-year-old serial molester

2011-12-31T15:05:00.000+08:00

Police have arrested a 27-year-old man believed to be a serial molester involved in several cases of outrage of modesty in Hougang.

The latest report filed was on Tuesday, by a 40-year-old woman who was in the vicinity of Hougang Avenue 3. An unknown Chinese man outraged her modesty before running away. The woman chased him but eventually lost sight of him and made a police report.

Officers from the Ang Mo Kio Police Division then began conducting ground queries, which paid off on Friday morning at about 7am, when a man fitting the description of the suspect was spotted near Hougang Avenue 3. The man was placed under arrest after a brief interview.

Preliminary investigations showed that the man was involved in at least four cases of outrage of modesty between September and December this year, and is believed to be involved in at least two other similar cases highlighted in an appeal for information by the police issued in September.

The man will be charged in Court on Saturday for Outrage of Modesty under Section 354 (1) of the Penal Code, Chapter 224. He can be jailed for up to two years, fined, and/or caned. Police said that a court order would be sought to remand the man for further investigations.

Superintendent of Police Chua Chuan Seng, Acting Commander of Ang Mo Kio Police Division, advised women to be alert and attentive to their surroundings. He added that if they suspect they are being followed, they should remain calm and proceed to a crowded area, or call the police for help.

- The Straits Times

14-year-old teen arrested for outrage of modesty in Pasir Ris

2011-12-31T14:51:00.002+08:00

The police have arrested a 14-year-old male believed to be involved in a case of outrage of modesty in Pasir Ris.

On Dec 23, the suspect molested a female victim in the lift of a Housing Board block in the Pasir Ris housing estate and fled. The victim then reported the case to to the police.

Officers from Bedok Police Division conducted intensive investigations, and managed to establish the identity of the 14-year-old suspect. The police arrested the suspect at about 6pm on the evening of Dec 29 at Pasir Ris Street 21.

The police said its preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect committed the offence after accessing pornographic material on the Internet.

Superintendent Jarrod Pereira, who is the acting commander of Bedok Police Division, advised parents to exercise supervision over their children's use of the Internet, and to consider subscribing to filtering services provided by Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

- The Straits Times

Singaporean ran online ring of Korean & Thai prostitutes from his condo

2011-12-30T18:13:00.005+08:00

He took a step back from his door and scratched the back of his head after hearing the news.

The 70-year-old man was shocked to learn that the apartment next door in his condominium in Bukit Panjang had been used as a call centre for an online sex-for-hire syndicate.

Apparently, customers would call or SMS syndicate members in the apartment on the 19th storey to book the prostitutes, who were showcased on three websites.

The customers would later be directed to a hotel to meet up with the prostitutes.

The neighbour, a retiree who gave his name as Mr Ho, told The New Paper yesterday: "But the young man living next door appears to be a family man. So how can?

"The Singaporean couple have a daughter. While our encounters with them are always brief, they would always greet us in English."

The police zeroed in on several locations islandwide as part of their crackdown on the syndicate's activities at noon on Wednesday.

In an eight-hour operation, 23 people were arrested for their alleged involvement in vice-related activities. Among them was a 32-year-old Singaporean man, believed to be the ringleader.

Mr Ho said he might have heard the police raid his neighbour's unit without realising it. He said he had heard a loud bang on Wednesday, but did not pay too much attention to it.

"I thought the couple had been arguing because somebody had slammed the door in anger."

Soon after, Mr Ho and his wife left their apartment to do some chores. They returned at about 3pm and saw that their neighbour's door had been broken.

"There was a person taking photographs of the broken door. I thought he was a housing agent who came to take photos before the owner decides to sell the condo unit," Mr Ho said.

"I entered my home and didn't notice anything else after that."

He said that his neighbours had moved in less than two years ago. TNP understands that they had rented the five-room apartment. Yesterday, the unit was empty and dark.

Mr Ho said he had not seen the family the whole day. His wife said she often saw groups of men in their late 20s and early 30s visiting the apartment with bags of food.

The men would occasionally play mahjong, judging by the sound of tiles being shuffled, she said. Whether they were part of the syndicate is unclear.

But what was obvious were the "models" showcased on the syndicate's three websites. On offer were sexily dressed women from Thailand and Korea.

A man who visited one of the websites said the Korean women's looks could rival those of female K-pop stars.

The man, who wanted to be known only as Mr Lim, said: "I have never used their services but I can understand the interest in the Koreans. They're exotic, rare and stunning."

A search revealed that four of them are featured on a website run by the online vice syndicate.

The page, which had 709 views as of 8pm yesterday, shows the four scantily-clad bombshells in sexy poses.

But their services do not come cheap. A 45-minute session with one of them costs $260.

The portal has a forum where clients can comment on the girls they hired. But it appears that not everyone is happy with the services offered.

An upset potential client posted a comment at 6.40pm yesterday saying that he tried to confirm a booking on Wednesday night but did not receive a reply.

He said: "Call them also no reply! Either something happened or the girls (are) being block booked for the festive season! But at least reply appt (sic) cancelled!"

What he did not know was that the police had busted the vice ring by then.

The operation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Police Intelligence Department saw the arrest of 11 men, including the ringleader and 12 women.

The police said the 23 suspects are aged between 24 and 38. Some are believed to be the syndicate's phone operators and runners.

TNP understands that most of the 12 female suspects are sex workers.

The suspects were nabbed at various locations islandwide, including Jurong West and Havelock Road. Five of them were caught at the syndicate's call centre at the Bukit Panjang condominium unit.

The items seized by police included cash, mobile phones, thumb drives and transaction records.

Apart from the website offering Korean women, the syndicate is believed to run two other websites. One features Thai prostitutes and the other did not specify where the girls were from.

On the "Thai" website, which had 8,798 views as of 9pm yesterday, the 16 prostitutes featured are also scantily clad.

But at $160 to $200 for a 90-minute session, they cost less than the Koreans.

Mobile phone numbers are listed below each of the women on the websites. Clients just had to send a text message or call to book one or more of them.

TNP understands that the websites are hosted on a foreign server. One is based in New York in the US.

Police investigations are ongoing. CID director Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Hoong Wee Teck said yesterday of Wednesday's crackdown: "This operation is part of ongoing efforts to clamp down on vice syndicates.

"Those who think they can get away with such illicit activities under the guise of the Internet are mistaken.

"The police will continue to take strong enforcement action to weed them out, regardless of their mode of operation."

Those convicted of offences relating to prostitution can be jailed up to five years and fined up to $10,000.

Fewer prostitutes had been seen prowling the streets of Geylang, The New Paper reported in February last year.

But this does not mean that the local sex trade is on the wane.

More likely, the industry has shifted from the streets to a bigger online presence, gauging by the number of websites featuring women who offer sexual services.

In the TNP report last year, John (not his real name) claimed to be part of a growing number of pimps who has gone "below the radar" by promoting their sex business online.

He told TNP that he had set up a "members only" website for men seeking sex for sale.

John, who claimed that he used to operate in Geylang Lorong 12, added: "The days of the streetwalkers are coming to an end. How do you expect to make money when the authorities frequently 'clean house'?"

Another man, known only as Mr Lim, admitted that he had visited such portals.

The 40-year-old said that six years ago, he knew of at least four sex websites which cater to Singaporeans.

"Now I know at least 20 such sites that offer such services. And there are many more which operate based just on recommendations."

Most of the websites are hosted overseas and provide instructions on how to book the prostitutes.

Local mobile phone numbers are given so clients can call or send text messages to book the girls.

- The New Paper

A new focus on sexual abstinence in schools

2011-12-28T18:19:00.000+08:00

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has drafted a revised Sexuality Education Programme (SEP) to boost emphasis on abstinence over contraception, reported The New Paper (TNP).

The new programme, Breaking Down Barriers (BDB), will be taught to Secondary 3, first-year junior college and centralised institute students, said the paper.

TNP also reported that the old programme faced some criticism from some Catholics due to the emphasis on using contraception, and the lack of awareness given to abstaining from sex. While it understands from MOE that the new programme will be ready in 2012, no details have yet been confirmed.

An MOE spokesperson told TNP that the revamp is part of its "periodic review" of the SEP curriculum to "ensure that it is updated and relevant" to students.

Parents of students in Catholic schools in Singapore welcomed the change to the programme.

Yahoo! Singapore spoke to Marilyn Koh, 47, a Catholic whose son attends a Catholic school, "I'm really looking forward to MOE changing their focus on the SEP. I was not very comfortable with the previous curriculum as it was not catered to Catholic teachings."

Francis Chan, who also has a son in a Catholic school, agreed with the change, "It's a lot more appropriate for Catholic schools to be teaching the children to abstain from sex, instead of promoting contraception. I'm perfectly fine with the current programme running in a secular school, but Catholic schools should be imparting Catholic values, right?"

- Yahoo!

Girl who had sex with teacher: Her father asks why family was not told

2011-12-26T18:55:00.002+08:00

FOR about 18 months, a married teacher manipulated and exploited his student into having a sexual relationship with him.

He was 38 and the girl only 14 when they first had sex in late 2007.

The following July, the school, suspecting something was amiss, warned the teacher over his improper conduct.

But that didn't deter him, and he continued having sex with his student until 2009. He even threatened to kill himself when she wanted to break up with him.

The teacher yesterday pleaded guilty to five counts of carnal connection with a minor. Fourteen other similar charges were taken into consideration.

The father of two, who admitted that having sex with his victim made him "feel more of a man", is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan 17.

He cannot be identified to protect the girl, who is now 18 and studying in a junior college. Although four years have passed since her CCA teacher first violated her, the girl is still haunted by the mental scars and needs constant counselling by psychologists.

Her mother also needs counselling. She had a breakdown on finding out what happened to the girl. Her father, while trying to heal his family, is also upset.

Although the school, located in the north, had felt that it was important enough to give the teacher a warning, the girl's parents were never informed. Why weren't we told, the father asked.

Speaking to The New Paper yesterday, he said: "We confronted the school after the police investigation and asked the vice-principal for an explanation on why we weren't informed.

"The school's only answer was that it had no evidence, and that was why the teacher got only a warning."

The school was alerted to improper conduct by the teacher during a trip to the United States.

Court papers revealed that the principal had called in the teacher and the girl, but both denied that anything improper was going on. The teacher claimed that he was like a father to her.

Despite the warning, he continued to have sex with her at least another 10 times either in the school or at the carpark of Upper Seletar Reservoir Park. He did not use a condom for most of the sexual encounters.

When TNP contacted the school yesterday, the administrative manager said he could not comment.

A vice-principal of another secondary school in the north said that unless there was evidence against a teacher, the school usually would not inform the parents. However, the teacher will be warned.

She added: "The primary concern is the safety of the child. If we can ascertain that the child is in danger, we will immediately remove the source of danger, in this case the teacher, with no warning.

"If we cannot verify if the child is in danger, there is nothing we can do. "But we will warn the teacher and prevent him from contact with the student, whether in class or in CCA."

She said that schools usually do not inform the parents because it serves no purpose except to alarm the family.

But Mr Stephen Wee, 52, who has a 14-year-old daughter, said he would want to know if the school suspected that his child was in an illicit relationship with a teacher, regardless of whether there was evidence.

The quality manager explained: "I want to know so that I can talk to her and warn her about potential problems."

The teacher's dirty deeds were finally exposed by his wife. He had a child when he started the relationship with the student.

His wife had just given birth to their second child when she discovered suggestive messages from the girl and a former student in January last year. He was also having sex with his former student.

When his wife confronted him, he denied having an improper relationship with the girls. He said he was merely giving the girls "private tuition" and promised to stop. And when the wife confronted the student, she also denied it.

On April 19 last year, his wife went to the girl's home and spoke to her mother.

The teacher then called the girl an estimated 49 times from April 21 to April 23. He also sent her multiple SMSes during these three days asking to meet her.

He threatened to kill himself and to tell her friends and family about their relationship. Desperate, the girl changed her mobile phone number.

The girl's father made a police report at a police post on April 23, and the teacher was arrested soon after.

Investigations revealed that the girl felt "uncomfortable about having to have daily sex with the accused".

On Aug 11 last year, she told a counsellor that when she refused him, he would either ignore her and force himself on her, or he would become moody and drive dangerously. The girl told the counsellor that she suffered from recurrent nightmares.

She also felt trapped and traumatised by his threats to commit suicide and to reveal their sexual relationship to her friends.

Her father said: "My wife is unstable and my daughter continues to have nightmares. I want to make sure he never hurts other children.

"My family has suffered for four years now. Nothing I do can bring things back to what they were but I'm not going to allow him to hurt other children."

- The New Paper

Pasie Ris serial molester, 17, caught on Christmas Eve

2011-12-25T02:06:00.003+08:00

A 17-year-old youth was arrested on Dec 24 morning for allegedly outraging the modesty of several women in Pasir Ris.

The youth had in several cases, approached the unsuspecting victims from the back, lifted up the skirts or dresses, pull down their panties and molested them.

Most of the victims fall between the ages of 17 and 35-years-old.

The police had conducted several ground inquiries in the vicinity and were finally able to establish the identity of the suspect.

After several operations they were finally able to arrest the suspect at Pasir Ris St 21 on Dec 24 at 9.30am.

He will charged on Dec 26 and if found guilty he will face a sentence of up two years in jail and a possible fine and/or caning.

- AsiaOne

Jobless man had sex with two minors, 14 and 15

2011-12-24T00:11:00.000+08:00

A JOBLESS man was yesterday placed on probation and ordered to do 80 hours of community service after making two underage girls pregnant.

The 21-year-old had pleaded guilty last month to having sex with a 14-year-old girl on two occasions. Four other charges of having sex with a 15- year-old girl were taken into consideration by the court. The judge ordered that no details which could lead to the girls’ identification be published.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavita Uthrapathy told the court that the 14-year-old had invited the man to her flat in May 2009 and they ended up having sex. They had sex again the following month, also in her home.

In September that year, she sought treatment at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital and had an abortion. A hospital employee informed the police, and the man was taken in for questioning.

Investigations then revealed that he had also been intimate on four occasions with a 15-year-old girl since May 2009. The teenager, who also became pregnant, kept the child. The man now lives with them, and the couple are planning to marry.

The girl’s father signed a $5,000 bond to ensure his future son-in-law’s good behaviour during the 15-month probation period.

- The Straits Times

Find out why these babes are dressed in bikinis in town

2011-12-23T17:09:00.015+08:00

Five bikini babes strutted their stuff on the MRT trains and at Raffles Place and Orchard Road. Amused passers-by stopped to take photographs with them.

In their oversized shades and carrying bubble guns, a volleyball and stickers that read "I(heart)SBP" the girls attempted to drum up publicity for the upcoming Siloso Beach Party on New Year's Eve.

The girls themselves had the character "I(Heart)SBP" painted on their bodies.

Freelance model Hannah Lau, 23, who sported a 'P' sticker on her stomach told The New Paper that it did not feel like work but felt more like hanging with the "ladies".

Hailed as Asia's largest beach countdown party, the Siloso Beach Party will feature 12 hours of non-stop action at 5 party zones including Azzura Beach Club, Wavehouse and Cafe Del Mar.

Tickets are available at the Sentosa Ticketing Counters only. Each ticket is priced at $49 for event admission and includes one standard drink.

- AsiaOne

Teacher pleads guilty to sex with 14-year-old student

2011-12-23T17:07:00.002+08:00

A teacher told his wife that he was giving 'private tuition' but was actually having sex with a 14-year-old student.

On Dec 23, the teacher, now 41, pleaded guilty in a district court to having sex with a minor. He will be sentenced on Jan 17 next year. The man cannot be named to protect the identity of the student, a minor at that time.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavitha Uthrapathy said that the man, then 38 and married with a child, bought gifts for the student and told her how pretty she was while on a school trip to Korea.

She agreed to be his girlfriend and they would meet and talk initially. He would pick her up in his car and send her home after school. He also tutored her for free. He lied about an unhappy marriage and that his wife was filing for a divorce.

They first had sex in the CCA room some time in November or December 2007 before school started at 7.30am. Then, on her 15th birthday, he bought her a black dress and a pair of sandals and also booked a room at Orchid Country Club where they spent the afternoon. On other occasions, they had sex in his car at a car park in Upper Seletar Reservoir Park.

In 2008, the school received a complaint about inappropriate behaviour between the teacher and the student while on a school trip to the United States.

He assured the principal and vice-principal that he was like a father to her. However, he was issued a warning letter for impropriety. He then became depressed and was granted medical leave till he was transferred to another secondary school in January 2009. The relationship continued all this while.

A year later in January 2010, his wife was on maternity leave after having their second child. She used his cellphone to take pictures of the newborn and discovered intimate text messages to the student and an ex-student.

He told her that they were his students and promised to stop giving them private tuition. The two teenagers also denied being in a relationship with her husband.

However, the younger teen felt let down that the wife had a second child and that the man was also having sex with the ex-student. She broke off the relationship.

In April last year, the man's wife told the student's mother about her suspicions. Her father then lodged a police report.

- The Straits Times

Man finds wife arrested in police vice raid

2011-12-23T15:04:00.001+08:00

A man was shocked to find his wife arrested on suspicion of working in a karaoke lounge.

Mr Chen's (60, unemployed) wife, a 41-year-old Vietnamese woman, was arrested last night (15 December) during a vice raid at Joo Chiat Road.

The raid took place at about 10.15pm and ended at about 11.30pm.

A total of 45 Vietnamese women and one Chinese national man were arrested.

The women were believed to be between 18 to 43 years old and were all dressed in revealing clothing, such as hot pants, low-cut tops and even transparent outfits.

It is believed that the women were working as lounge hostesses and sex workers. Some customers at the lounge revealed to reporters that some of the older women in fact only provided massage services.

Mr Chen was seen begging policemen to let his wife go.

"She told me she was at the lounge to look for her friends and I believe her. Why are the police arresting her?!" he exclaimed.

Mr Chen's wife is in Singapore on a social visit pass and is not allowed to work.

The police have advised him to post bail for his wife at Bedok police station today.

- Shin Min Daily News

Man jailed for trying to take upskirt shot of 14-year-old

2011-12-20T14:33:00.000+08:00

A young man was jailed for two weeks on Tuesday for trying to insult the modesty of a teen in a lift. Shahidan Buang, 23, who pleaded guilty, had walked into the lift in Hougang with a 14-year-old girl on Nov 2 and stood behind her.

The victim was about to get out of the lift on the ninth floor when he tried to use his mobile phone to take an 'upskirt' shot of her but failed. The girl subsequently reported to the police that he had poked her left rear thigh.

In the same court, a 30-year-old man was charged with insulting modesty by using his mobile phone to take a video of his 13-year-old stepdaughter changing in her room on May 13 last year.

He cannot be named as it may lead to the identification of the girl. He will be back in court on Dec 27.

- The Straits Times

Six-pack hunks - more than Singapore can bare?

2011-12-16T18:14:00.001+08:00

Shirtless men clad in red sweatpants have been lining up for days in Singapore's prime shopping district, part of an advertising gimmick revealing not just muscle but also a gradual unpeeling of the city state's puritanical ways.

The feverish reception given the "shirtless greeters" by the Singapore public, both in real life and online, where it has gone viral in social media, signals how the notoriously conservative city-state has been loosening up in recent years, experts said.

On a recent evening, women stood with the men for pictures, touching them on the chest or receiving a friendly embrace. One even jumped up on a greeter's back.

The men, from the United States, Europe and Asia, are on a mission to drum up excitement for fashion retailer Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F)'s flagship store in Singapore, which opened on Thursday, using a campaign also employed overseas.

"There's no way such advertisements that push the envelope slightly would have appeared about 30 years ago," said M. Thiyagarajan, a senior lecturer at Singapore Polytechnic's business school who specializes in advertising and public relations.

"I think as a society we have moved to a different level. We are far more accepting of such things."

He cited the spread of the internet, education and overseas travel as factors that have helped open minds in Singapore, which officially is still such a strict society that a ban on sales of chewing gum was renewed last year.

Local theatres have recently staged plays exploring traditionally controversial themes such as homosexuality and religion. Gay sex can still lead to a jail term of up to two years, although such laws are rarely enforced.

In October, a performance by French dancer Sylvie Guillem also contained "some scenes of upper body female nudity".

However, conservatives in the city-state are still making their voices heard.

A letter to the editor in a local paper last month complained about naming an orchid after singer Elton John, asking if homosexuality was to be "openly encouraged and endorsed by the government?"

In September, the Advertising Standards Authority of Singapore told A&F to remove a giant billboard showing a naked male torso after some members of the public complained that it was too racy.

"It is probably the response of a vocal minority, a storm in a teacup, who would use any occasion, however small, to raise the alarm," said Tan Ern Ser, an associate professor at the National University of Singapore's sociology department.

The shirtless greeters appear, for now, to be reaping more positive than negative attention.

"I think it's a pretty effective way to publicize the brand leading up to its launch, and I like how it's an outdoor campaign which has taken its own life online," said Cathryn Neo, a recruitment consultant. "And I do find them hot."

- Reuters

Spouse: I can't stop cheating

2011-12-15T00:55:00.002+08:00

Nancy dearly loves her husband.

She cannot imagine life without the man, a company director five years older than her - but she simply falls for new men who pay attention to her.

Each of her love affairs last a short time before she, wrecked with guilt, would end it, praying that her husband would never find out. There were close calls, but she has explained her way out of trouble.

Nancy, who works in the media industry, has sworn time and time again that it would be the "last one".

She has lost count of the number of lovers she's had. Yes, she's with one now.

Svelte, with long flowing hair, Nancy insists she's no seductress. Dressed modestly in her executive clothes, Nancy doesn't search for prey in watering holes.

Each of her lovers has been a man she meets on the job. They are successful, confident and often, married.

And they go after her first, she says.

Sexual equality has hit a perverse note here, according to a recent Durex survey. About one in five men cheat on their partner.

The same number of women fall prey to cheating. Says Nancy: "I have intense feelings for my lover...I think I thrive on them thinking that I am great, desirable and sexy... The attention also makes me feel loved."

Her husband is a faithful and religious man. His work keeps him busy.

For her, it's her lover who keeps her occupied. She's always on her phone, checking e-mails and messages. And she just can't quit.

It took some persuading for her to talk. Having a string of lovers is not a source of pride for her.

Nancy's story demonstrates another of the condom manufacturer's findings. Men tend to have casual sex on the sly, while women take on lovers.

Brian, 40, is just like Nancy. And like her, Brian told this paper he simply cannot stop philandering. We are not using their real names to protect their identities.

When he was in his 20s, Brian sought sexual adventures and jaunts behind his girlfriends' backs.

He also believed that visiting prostitutes was just a phase that would end once he got married.

But now, five years after his wedding in 2006, he continues to seek prostitutes once every two months. For him, it is more physical.

Says Brian, an accountant: "The only thing that has changed slightly from my early years is my frequency (of seeing prostitutes).

"With a 5-year-old son to look after and my busy work schedule, there are only a few excuses I can make (to my wife) whenever I need to slip out of my home."

He knows what he is doing is morally wrong. Getting caught with the fresh scent of shower gel or perfume on his body would be disastrous. So he smokes to mask any scent that could betray his rendezvous.

Brian dreads the thought of his wife, a housewife in her 30s, finding out about his two-timing ways. She could ask for a divorce and get sole custody of their only child, says Brian.

Yet recognising right from wrong has never been an issue for Brian, who has slept with at least 20 women since his marriage.

He adds: "To me, it (sex with a prostitute) is an emotionless transaction and a way to de-stress.

"I move from one girl to the next like you would when buying maybe a toothbrush. When you're done, you pay for a new one.

"Despite my cheating, I still love my wife. My family comes first."

Well, maybe not all the time. During one Chinese New Year eve, Brian felt the urge to have sex, but not with his wife.

"I managed to have one 'session' before rushing back for the reunion dinner," Brian reveals. As he was a little late, his family had waited for him before starting dinner.

"I just can't stop and ignore what my body is telling me...I need the release."

Psychologists and psychiatrists say people like Brian and Nancy continue to cheat for various reasons.

Some do it out of sexual frustration with their current partners, finding their own sex life boring.

For others, deep unresolved emotional issues, like bonding difficulties, become a factor.

Some think that sleeping around is widely accepted by society, says Mr Daniel Koh, a psychologist from Insights Mind Centre.

"This can be due to wanting to improve one's self-worth by looking for ladies or men who find them attractive and desirable," he says.

"Or it may be a matter of collecting a number of 'trophies' to see how far they can go before getting caught (by their partners).

The news that both men and women (20 per cent of them) cheat is hardly surprising, says psychiatrist Tommy Tan. Cheating is an innate quality in humans, he says.

Dr Tan, from Novena Psychiatry Clinic, says: "It's nothing unusual. Even birds, who are said to be paired for life, fool around in the animal kingdom. It's their way of seeking the best genes for their offspring."

What is unusual for Dr Tan are the cases involving a different kind of spousal infidelity.

In some cases he has seen, cheating spouses - both men and women - did not seek help because of their inability to be faithful.

Instead, they came to Dr Tan because they suffer from depression when their boyfriends or mistresses threaten to leave them.

Adds Dr Tan: "What's important about the sex survey is the proportion of men and women who are unfaithful.

"If the figures show a big rise and if the survey is representative of our population, then there is cause for concern."

- The New Paper

Teen gets reformative training for sex with girl, 13

2011-12-12T23:59:00.001+08:00

A teen and a 40-year-old man had sex with a 13-year-old girl after she became drunk after a couple of alcoholic drinks.

On Monday, the 17-year-old was sentenced to reformative training for sexual penetration of a minor between April 21 and 22 last year. The incident happened in a lorry in a road near Kranji Camp. He cannot be named as there is a gag order.

Inmates aged 21 and below undergo reformative training of at least 18 months and a maximum of three years. They are subjected to a regimen of foot drills as well as counselling. The man's rape charge is pending in the High Court.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavita Uthrapathy told Community Court Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan that the girl, now 15, and the teen were former schoolmates. They were a couple for about two months before they broke up in April last year.

The girl came to know the man through the teen.

On April 21 last year, she was playing computer games with friends at Boon Lay Shopping Centre when the teen invited her out for drinks with him and the man.

The man picked up the pair at a bus stop and drove to Sungei Kadut where they switched to a bigger lorry and proceeded to Kranji.

There, the trio started drinking vodka and orange juice. After two cups, the girl became tipsy and refused to drink more but the man pestered her to continue.

She got drunk and vomited. She lay down, drifting in and out of consciousness.

The DPP said the man told the teen that they should move to the back compartment and continue drinking.

When the man asked him to have sex with the girl, he declined.

The teen fell asleep and when he woke up and saw the man having sex, he suddenly felt the urge to vomit.

After the teen vomited, the man told him to have sex with the girl and he proceeded to do so.

Defence counsel Noor Mohamed Marican said his client did not collude with the man to intoxicate the victim and have sex with her.

He said his client was coerced into committing the offence and had realised his mistake. He hoped to return to school after serving his sentence as that was the only way to move forward.

- The Straits Times

Gay 'brothels' operating in the heartlands

2011-12-11T21:45:00.002+08:00

From the front, the first-storey unit in Ang Mo Kio looks like any other neighbourhood store.

The shop space has been divided into two - with one side selling stationery and the other mobile phone accessories.

Children were playing in front of the unit that morning and housewives were hurrying home with their groceries.

Nobody seemed to have any idea that above the shop, on the second storey, is a flat that is operating as a sleazy massage parlour.

Inside, a paying customer can opt for a "sensual" massage with sex extras thrown in for additional fees.

What makes this place stand out from similar establishments in red light districts like Geylang is not just its location in the heartland.

The people offering the sex services here are men. Their clients are also men.

The young men working there usually solicit their services on an online gay dating portal.

The New Paper checked out the website last month and noticed that most of the men offering "sensual" massage on the portal are Indonesians.

All of them hinted that they also offered sexual services.

They posted their mobile phone numbers on online advertisements, which often showed them in the nude.

Posing as an interested customer, this reporter texted two of the men. They replied within minutes.

One of them, Budi (not his real name), agreed to meet me in the Ang Mo Kio flat. He declined to reveal the unit number and told me to text him when I arrived at the block of flats.

When I did so, I was directed to the back of the shop, where Budi was waiting by the door with a huge smile.

After telling me to hurry inside, he locked the door and directed me up a narrow flight of stairs to the second storey. The unit upstairs was dark and cramped.

A large curtain acted as a partition in the living room and I could hear a group of young men chatting in Indonesian on the other side of the heavy fabric.

Budi ushered me into a bedroom and offered me an oil massage, with sex on the menu as well if I was willing to pay.

He added that five other Indonesian men were working there that day. Before the transaction could go through, I gave an excuse and left.

A few days later, I met another Indonesian man, Agus (not his real name), who was operating from a fifth-storey unit in Yishun.

Like the Ang Mo Kio flat, it appeared nondescript on the outside. The only giveaway to what went on inside was the number of towels hung outside to dry.

Agus greeted me at the front door of the dimly-lit flat and directed me into a bedroom. I heard some men chatting in Indonesian on the other side of a closed kitchen door.

When I asked, Agus said four other Indonesian men were on duty that day. Like Budi, Agus offered an oil massage as well as sex. Again, I made my excuse and left.

When TNP later staked out the Ang Mo Kio unit, men were seen being ushered in by other young men.

Some "visitors" left after 15 minutes and others were inside for an hour. Similar activity was also seen at the Yishun unit.

Residents approached by TNP were unaware of the sexual goings-on taking place under their noses.

Lawyer Sunil Sudheesan said that because these sex workers offer their services to other men, they could be committing offences under Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises such acts.

Their clients could also be charged with the offence. Those convicted can be jailed up to two years. The home owners could also get into trouble.

Mr Sudheesan said the HDB can take back the flats if they are used for commercial purposes which are not sanctioned.

By soliciting their massage services online, the Indonesian men could be committing offences under the Massage Establishment Act, another lawyer, Ms Gloria James-Civetta, said.

This is because it is an offence to publish or display advertisements for unlicensed massage establishments.

Anyone convicted of this can be fined up to $1,000.

He can be further fined up to $50 a day if he continues to commit the offence after conviction.

Ms James-Civetta said the men could be committing employment and immigration offences if they did not have work permits or are working while here on social visit passes.

Foreigners caught working without valid work passes can be jailed up to a year and fined up to $5,000.

Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, those who employ foreign workers without valid work passes can be jailed up to a year and fined up to $15,000.

- The New Paper

Man gets probation for indecent acts with girl, 12

2011-12-09T15:11:00.000+08:00

A 21-year-old man was sentenced to two years' probation for committing indecent acts with a 12-year-old girl.

He has been ordered by the court to stop contacting the victim, stay indoors from 10 pm to 6 am, and has to get treatment for dysthymia, a mild form of depression.

Lee Guo Qiang, a full-time national serviceman, had befriended the girl through an Internet game in January 2009. The Straits Times reported that they got close over six months, chatting often.

Once they were comfortable with each other Lee talked to the girl about sex. They had discussed her sexuality and he described to her how he felt as he watched pornographic films.

After asking her if she was a virgin one day, he asked her to send him nude pictures of herself.

She agreed and sent him a few. He then repeatedly asked her to have sex with him.

They reportedly met in September 2009 after her Primary School Leaving Examinations at a staircase landing in Woodlands.

He hugged and kissed her before asking her to masturbate him. He then made her perform oral sex on him.

They met one more time at her house where they committed an indecent act as well.

The acts came to light when her father made a police report after finding out that she had been sending topless pictures of herself to someone she met on Facebook.

Her father had decided to check on her early one morning in November 2009 when he realised she was not asleep.

He then confronted Lee before making the police report.

Lee's parents have signed a $5,000 bond to ensure his good behaviour.

- AsiaOne

Homeless man's China bride refuses to go to bed with him

2011-12-08T12:19:00.000+08:00

A 42-year-old homeless man in Singapore claimed that he never had sex with his 24-year-old wife from China although they got married more than a year ago, reported China Press.

Yeh Lai Cheng alleged that it was love at first sight for his wife, who then proposed to him.

The couple registered their marriage on Oct 27 last year, a few days after their first meeting.

However, after their marriage, Yeh said he continued to remain homeless while his wife stayed with her friends.

"We only met 10 times in the past year. I suspect that I have been used," said the jobless man, who had been homeless for the past nine years.

Yeh said a friend had introduced his wife to him, adding that she had been willing to marry him then although she was aware of his situation.

"I immediately said yes when she proposed because it never crossed my mind that a woman would be willing to marry me," he said.

However, Yeh said his wife would turn down his requests for sex.

"Instead, my wife would ask me whether I have money or if I could afford to raise a child," he said, adding that his wife would also not let him hold her hands.

Yeh said his wife merely told him that she worked as a waitress in a pub.

- The Star/Asia News Network

Local women ranked top 5 most unfaithful

2011-12-07T22:46:00.001+08:00

A recent survey has revealed Singaporean women as among the top five most unfaithful in the world.

The survey, by condom maker Durex, also reveals that Singaporeans now have twice the number of sex partners compared to four years ago.

Singaporean men are found to have an average of 16 sex partners, up from 8 in the old survey. This is the same number as Hong Kong men, and the highest in Asia.

Singaporean women now have an average of 6 sex partners, up from 3 previously. This is the second highest number in Asia, just behind the Japanese.

Some 19% of Singaporean women admitted that they were unfaithful to their spouses, placing local women among the top five most unfaithful in the world.

The survey, with 29,000 respondents from all over the world, also revealed other interesting statistics.

Malaysian men appear to have the lowest average number of sex partners at just 3.

Gay men have the highest average number of sex partners at 108. Lesbian women however, have an average number of 11 sex partners.

Gay men tend to spice up their sex lives far more than heterosexual couples. Methods used include massages, role-playing and sado-masochism.

Lesbian women however, prefer using sexy lingerie to spice up their sex lives.

Male bisexuals have an average of 21 male partners and 14 female partners, while female bisexuals have an average of 13 male partners and 3 female partners.

- Shin Min Daily News

Hundreds gather for Singapore 'SlutWalk' protest

2011-12-04T22:16:00.005+08:00

Hundreds of people gathered at a park in Singapore on Sunday to protest sexual violence against women as part of the global "SlutWalk" movement, in a rare public demonstration in the tightly controlled city state.

The event featured live music, speeches and a women's Muay Thai martial arts exhibition at downtown Singapore's Speakers' Corner, the only public outdoor space where demonstrations are allowed in the Southeast Asian country.

Participants at the rally did not dress provocatively as some activists have in SlutWalks in U.S. and Canadian cities.

"The idea was not to vamp it up, because women can get raped regardless of what they're wearing," said Vanessa Ho, who organized the event with six friends. "We're trying to raise awareness against victim-blaming and slut-shaming."

SlutWalk marches have been held in cities around the world, including earlier this year in New Delhi and Sydney. The protests originated in Toronto, where they were sparked by a police officer's remark that women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts."

In Toronto and later Boston, several women marched in lingerie with the word "slut" painted on their bodies.

Singapore has strict controls on public speech, and outdoor demonstrations are rare. The wealthy island state of 5.1 million people also has one of the world's lowest violent crime rates.

Corinna Lim, executive director of the Singapore women's rights group Aware, said many sexual assault cases go unreported, especially date rape. Aware recently started a hotline for sexual abuse victims and offers to accompany women to the police and the hospital after an assault.

"The family of the victim will sometimes say, 'What were you wearing?'" Lim said. "Singapore women have modernized quite quickly in a short time, but Singapore is still a very conservative society."

Lim praised last month's decision by authorities in Singapore to abolish a law that allowed a woman's sexual history to be examined during a rape trial.

Women account for about half of the country's university graduates and hold a few high-profile positions in the business community, including Chua Sock Koong, chief executive of Southeast Asia's largest phone company, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. However, men dominate the leadership of the People's Action Party, which has ruled Singapore since 1959.

"The world is dominated by males, so there's a male mentality," said Esaint Chiang, a 21-year-old student who attended Sunday's protest. "I think it's a good idea to bring awareness to these issues, but I like that they're not being so provocative, playing by the rules and not pissing off the authorities too much."

Ho, 24, said she lives with her parents but did not tell them she was organizing SlutWalk because of their conservative values.

"My parents are averse to anything that tries to poke at the system or shake the status quo," said Ho, who has a master's degree in gender studies from University College London. "But this cause is worth it to me."

- AP

La Senza's X'mas collection raises temperatures

2011-12-02T18:59:00.004+08:00

Canadian lingerie brand, La Senza, sent temperatures soaring at Zouk recently with its Christmas party on Nov 24.

With the club decked out in pink in a candy wonderland theme, it was the setting for a true girls' night out.

But the boys were in for a treat when the models took to the runway to showcase La Senza's Christmas collection.

With a smile, pirouette and a pout, the models flirted with the boys in the crowd from the catwalk.

Meanwhile, there was an open bar for thirsty and delicious treats of cup cakes, candy cane, popcorn and chocolates for those with the munchies.

- AsiaOne

2 men charged with paying a 16-year-old girl for sex

2011-12-02T18:48:00.002+08:00

Two men were charged on Thursday with paying an under-18 Vietnamese girl for sex.

Yeo Joo Meng, 55, a store personnel, is accused of two counts of paying the 16-year-old girl for her sexual services at Lorong 28 Geylang. He allegedly paid her $130 on the first occasion in end-2010, and $100 in July this year.

Yeo, represented by Mr Andrew Tan Tiong Gee, will return to court on Dec 29.

In the same court, Winson Chan Swee Teck, 49, is said to have had paid $100 for sex with the same girl at Lorong 28 Geylang in July this year.

His lawyer Abdul Jalil Muhammad Tahir, said he had just been briefed and sought an adjournment to take instructions and make representations. Chan's next court date is Dec 22.

It is a crime to have paid sex with a person under 18. The law came into effect in February 2008. If convicted, both can be jailed for up to seven years and/or fined.

- The Straits Times

Man fixes cameras under desks to film upskirt videos

2011-11-30T21:55:00.001+08:00

A bank employee who installed a pinhole camera under the desks of three female colleagues so he could film up their skirts was jailed for one month on Tuesday.

Goh Yang Chuan, who worked at a Maybank branch in the city area, admitted to two counts of intruding into the privacy of two women aged 26 and 28.

A third similar charge was considered during sentencing.

The court heard that the 28-year-old woman had noticed Goh fiddling with something underneath her desk on the morning of Oct 9, 2009. Goh left upon seeing her.

She checked under the desk and found a pinhole camera with upskirt videos of herself, and immediately called the police.

The camera was sent to the Technology Crime Forensic Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department for examination.

In the course of their investigation, police raided Goh's home and seized a computer. A total of 1,069 upskirt video files were recovered.

The bespectacled Goh, who had worked at the bank as a disbursement officer, was unrepresented, and appeared in court with his parents.

The 26-year-old pleaded for a light sentence, saying he was a first offender.

But District Judge Eugene Teo told him that he had been convicted of serious offences, each of which carries a jail term of up to a year.

'What you have done is a matter which cannot be taken lightly. For such cases, the courts have always imposed custodial terms,' he said.

Reports of similar cases in recent years have made some women like sales executive Jacklyn Hsu more wary. 'I try to stand in front of my friend or put my bag behind me if I take the steps or when I am on an escalator,' said the 23-year-old.

Others, like teacher Kavitha Meyappan, said wearing shorts under her dress or skirt helps protect her modesty.

'I have heard of students doing things like that,' said the 24-year-old, referring to the filming of upskirt videos.

'So, it is better safe than sorry.'

Ms Corinna Lim, executive director of the Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware), said women should not let the risk of such incidents hamper their lifestyles.

But they should be more alert and report to the police if they notice any strange behaviour.

Ms Lim recounted an incident in which a helpline caller had asked for Aware's advice after she found out that her landlord had been filming her with hidden cameras in the unit.

She added that such cases of upskirt videos and those where women discover hidden cameras are more common these days because the technology and equipment are more affordable.

- The Straits Times

Snatch thief jailed and caned for molesting victim

2011-11-30T20:56:00.000+08:00

First, he propositioned three women chatting near the taxi stand at the Jurong Point Shopping Centre. When he was rebuffed, he ran off with one of their handbags. They gave chase and when cornered, Chandrasekaran Vairakannu, 27, molested one of them in the scuffle.

On Wednesday, a district court sentenced the Indian national to seven months in jail and three strokes of the cane. The 27-year-old labourer had pleaded guilty to committing theft and outraging her modesty.

One woman is 36 years old, while the other two are 17 years old.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Alan Hu said Chandrasekaran had approached the trio at 7.40pm on Oct 21 and asked: 'One night, how much?'

One of the women told him to go away or she would call the police. He grabbed her handbag which was on the stone ledge near her and jumped from the walkway to run down a slope. The handbag was caught in some bushes and he left it behind.

Two of the women, both 17, gave chase. When they caught up with him, one of them kicked him, causing him to fall. But he managed to spring up and squeeze her breast.

An analysis by the Health Science Authority showed that his blood alcohol level then was 188mg - more than twice the legal limit of 80mg for drink-driving.

- The Straits Times

I can be your man or woman: Social escort

2011-11-30T19:26:00.000+08:00

The sheer volume of advertisements listed under Craigslist Singapore's "Personals" section is insane; there are more than 2,000 ads just under one of the nine sub-sections for this month.

Ads range from promises of sex or the girlfriend experience by enthusiastic sugar daddy seekers, to racy photos of diminutive women displaying their wealthy assets for a camera shot, to even notes so lonely and bitter I shudder from reading them.

Another site, Locanto, has close to 1,400 such ads from the last check. Such ads partly reflect the reinvention of traditional prostitutes in red light districts such as Geylang into an underground phenomenon that now sees them on the move — discreetly. But the ads also act as a platform for individuals with stable jobs to earn money on the side.

"Social escorts" is the term for many of these advertisers.

Escorts are usually well-dressed, eloquent, educated. They boast a package of beauty and brains, an especially tempting deal for one-night stands. For working singles now who increasingly lack time to date or commit to a long-term relationship, this fills in for the craving of companionship.

A spokesperson from upscale escort agency Lush Companions revealed that different agencies have different requirements. While Lush prefers their escorts to be at least a degree-holder, they do not exclude others as long as "they can hold a conversation". The firm generally accepts escorts between ages 21 to 32.

Most escorts belong to an agency that contracts escorts via outcalls (usually the customer's residence or a hotel) under the terms of providing social or conversational service.

But this invisible booming trade running underground belies the squeaky-clean and conservative society Singapore portrays to the world.

While escort agencies are considered legal, "extra" arrangements are out of their purview — a disclaimer note that some agencies have tactfully included on their website to avert legal liability. If an individual is found guilty of pimping, the person faces a maximum $10,000 fine and up to a five-year jail term.

The sheer profitability of this trade, however dodgy, is not stopping locals from earning these quick, fast bucks. One escort Yahoo! Singapore spoke to admitted she entered the industry part-time due to the attractive monetary rewards, especially if the assignment involves sponsored overseas trips.

Professor Zaheer Baber, a sociologist from the University of Toronto and co-author of a 2002 Singapore paper in British Journal of Sociology said, "This phenomenon in its various forms has existed since time immemorial, so to speak. It is unlikely that it will disappear."

Of Singapore's evolving culture, he added, "It is not that different from the global phenomena of many men and women who are more than willing to sell their principles, integrity or "soul" for a few bucks, sometimes mega-bucks."

Not just for the money?

Of course, not all the advertisers are local and some of them do it out for reasons other than monetary gain.

One person — let's call him Gregory — made a bodacious claim on his ad: "Be your man or woman". I raised a quizzical brow. If the photos are accurate, Greg is certainly no transsexual.

A young Spanish Filipino, Greg's personality and rock hard six-pack spells all Sunshine Boy. With his lopsided smile, his humble demeanor, you might guess he was a fitness trainer of sorts, though he is actually a full-time computer programmer who moved to Singapore a year ago.

For this gregarious youth though, the 9 to 5 job hardly sufficed. Abroad and alone, he found himself inordinately bored. "It's so boring I tend to do some leisure activities like sports as well," he told Yahoo! Singapore.

Greg was introduced to Craigslist two months ago, and listed his ad offering professional Swedish massage. A longtime hobby of his, Greg sought to learn massage professionally years ago.

But perhaps due to the nature of the site, and his boyish looks, he soon received requests for "extra" services. He obliged after some time.

His outcall rates are affordable — only $60 to $80 depending on the client's location, and $80 to $100 for 90 minutes inclusive of extra services. Escorts' services under an agency though fetch higher prices, usually at an average of $400. One of Singapore's male escort agency, Singapore Escort, charges from $120 to as high as $1,800.

When asked whether about the legality of his services, he replied, "I don't think this is legal but I am not soliciting. I am just offering massage to those who need it."

While prostitution in designated areas is legal, solicitation is not.

Like most escorts, none of his personal friends or family is aware of his moonlighting job.

Earlier this year, local actor Andie Chen was reportedly offered $20,000 if he were to act as a social escort. He turned the offer down. When surveyed, actor Dai Yang Tian said he would not even consider this as well, adding "It's all about dignity."

Based on the sheer volume of ads offering social escort services, some would probably disagree with that thought.

- Yahoo

2 charged for concealing HIV-positive status from sex partner

2011-11-30T19:16:00.001+08:00

Two men carrying the Aids virus were taken to court on Wednesday to face a charge each of engaging in sexual activity with a male without informing him of the risk of contracting the virus.

One of them, aged 48, pleaded guilty to the offence with the victim - now aged 37 - in May 2009.

Before the sexual activity, the defendant, diagnosed to be HIV-positive in 2006, did not tell the victim of the risk of contracting HIV infection from him and get the latter's voluntary agreement to accept that risk.

The court heard that the defendant was afraid that the victim would not engage in sex with him if he were to tell him the truth.

Pleading for leniency, the defendant, who is short and wears glasses, said he regretted the mistake.

He will be sentenced on Dec 20.

Meanwhile, the case against the 27-year-old defendant, who allegedly committed a similar offence with the same victim in January 2009, has been postponed to Dec 28.

The maximum penalty is a $50,000 fine and 10 years' jail.

- The Straits Times

Man duped of $13k by prostitute

2011-11-30T18:47:00.001+08:00

A 56-year-old Singaporean man has been duped of $13,000 by a prostitute.

The 43-year-old prostitute, who is a Chinese national, had asked to marry the man, who gave his name only as Mr Ho, just two days after he paid for her services.

Mr Ho agreed and subsequently spent $13,000 on his future wife, only to find her missing before they could register their marriage, reported Shin Min Daily.

Mr Ho, who works as a security officer, was introduced to the woman on August 26 by his friends.

He had only intended to engage her services once, but after they had sex, the woman told him that she wanted to marry a local man like how her cousin did.

She called him repeatedly a few days later to propose marriage.

She told him that she thought he was a good man, and had a compatible zodiac sign to hers, saying that fate had brought them together.

Mr Ho initially wanted to date the woman and get to know her better, but on August 31, he fixed an appointment to be married on November 23.

After the date had been fixed, the woman immediately asked Mr Ho for $5,000, claiming that she wanted to give $2,000 to her parents and the rest to her 13-year-old daughter who is living and studying in China.

She visited China in September and upon her return to Singapore in October, she asked for $4,000, and spent an additional $3,000 shopping for jewellery, including a wedding ring.

Mr Ho spent a total of $13,000 on the woman.

She became uncontactable on November 15. After trying and failing to contact her for three days, Mr Ho realised he had been cheated and made a police report.

Mr Ho, who has never been married before, said the woman gained his trust by calling him every day to check on him, and also by addressing him as her husband.

He also observed that she liked children, and was kind towards elderly people who needed help. This led him to believe that she was of good character.

Mr Ho also revealed that he did not have enough savings of his own, and had to borrow $6,000 from friends and family to give her.

His friends and family are aware of his plight and have not demanded reimbursement.

Shin Min Daily was unable to contact the woman for comments.

- AsiaOne

One in 10 Singapore men unhappy with their sex life

2011-11-29T22:55:00.000+08:00

One in 10 men in Singapore are unhappy with their sex life, with men between the ages of 45 and 49 being the unhappiest of the lot, according to new local data.

To mark International Men's Day, the Society Of Men's Health (Singapore) and pharmaceutical giant Bayer Healthcare conducted a survey on the sexual health of 410 local men between 45 and 64 years old.

The study found that one in 10 men surveyed do not have a sexual life at all. The findings are hardly surprising, since the same survey also found that more than half of the men in this group have some degree of erectile dysfunction (ED).

According to Dr Colin Teo, a consultant urologist at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, sexual health problems like ED and testosterone deficiency typically start from the age of 40, which is one reason why the survey revealed that men in the younger age group (45 to 49 years old) were the most unsatisfied with their sex life.

"Compared to their 30s, this group of men will see a marked contrast in their erectile performance and libido," said Dr Teo.

Professor Peter Lim, president of the Society Of Men's Health (Singapore), added that insecurities can also hamper the quality of sex life. "These men are beginning to feel the pangs of ageing, and hence fear losing the magic of their yesteryears," he said.

Commenting on the findings, Prof Lim said a healthy sex life is an important indicator of a man's health and well-being.

ED may be the first sign of other medical conditions linked to poor blood flow and circulation, such as diabetes, high blood cholesterol and heart disease.

The survey's findings point to a need to help local men improve their sexual health, said Prof Lim, who advised men to discuss treatment options with their doctor.

"In today's context, there are many solutions and therapies to reverse the medical causes of poor sexual health," added Dr Teo.

- Channel News Asia

Man, 60, jailed for sexual offences with boy

2011-11-29T22:50:00.000+08:00

A 60-year-old man has been jailed 30 months for sexual offences with a 12-year-old boy.

Tan Geok Kim made a 12-year-old boy perform oral sex on him and vice versa on August 12, 2009.

The incident took place at his Eunos Crescent flat.

The Straits Times reported that the unemployed man had met the boy at the toilet of Eunos MRT station earlier that day.

Following the student out, Tan told him that he was very handsome and asked for his contact number.

Tan then met him after school and took him to his flat with the intention of having oral sex.

The prosecution said Tan took advantage of a vulnerable victim to satisfy his sexual desires and urged the court to send a strong message that such actions must not be tolerated.

- AsiaOne

Man gets STD after affair with PRC woman

2011-11-28T16:55:00.002+08:00

A man recently put up notices to curse a woman who had a one night stand with him.

The 66-year-old grandfather, Chen (renovation supervisor) had done so after he discovered that he had contracted a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

In the notice, he claims that Ms Cao (age 42), a Chinese national who had slept with him, had given him the disease.

He also claims that Ms Cao is a prostitute who is cheating men and passing STDs around.

Chen explained to reporters that he had met Ms Cao in April at the coffeeshop under his block.

Ms Cao, said to be an attractive woman, worked at the eatery as a beer lady.

Chen eventually blew more than $40,000 to woo Ms Cao before becoming intimate with her.

He said, "She was very touched (with what I did for her) and she went to a hotel with me. We had sex without protection."

A few days later, Chen began to feel discomfort at his private parts. The symptoms worsened within a week and Chen had to go to the hospital for a checkup.

He found that he had contracted an STD.

The furious Chen decided that Ms Cao must have cheated him and passed him the STD.

Coincidentally, Ms Cao had returned to China at the time for her father's funeral.

Chen began to call and SMS Ms Cao everyday to berate her for passing an STD to him.

Ms Cao soon returned and took an STD test to prove to Chen that she was disease-free.

Realising his mistake, he begged for Ms Cao's forgiveness to no avail.

According to Ms Cao, Chen could not get her forgiveness, so he started putting up notices to expose their affair at the coffeeshop where Ms Cao works, and around his block.

In the notices, he cursed her repeatedly and claims that she is a prostitute, swindler and an STD-carrier.

Ms Cao has called the police, alleging that Chen has defamed her.

- Lianhe Wanbao

He had appeared naked before some victims as well as molested others in lifts

2011-11-26T00:49:00.001+08:00

The flasher of Bukit Batok, all of 15 years old, will serve two years of probation for outraging and insulting the modesty of nine girls aged nine to 18.

He had appeared naked before some of them, touched the buttocks of others and exposed his private parts to a 10-year-old.

The offences occurred between April and June in lifts in Bukit Batok; one occurred in 2009 in Taman Jurong. The boy and the girls cannot be named because he is a minor and they were victims of a sexual offence.

District Judge Edgar Foo, presiding in the Juvenile Court on Thursday, ordered that the boy stay in the Singapore Boys' Hostel for the first year of probation. After that, he will be allowed to return home but be supervised by his parents and his probation officer.

He also has to stay indoors from 9pm to 6am daily and be with an adult when he goes out.

On top of this, he will do 100 hours of community service and undergo psychiatric counselling.

His parents had to sign a $2,000 bond each to guarantee his good behaviour during the probation period. The case will be reviewed in four months.

The bespectacled boy, who is of slight build, was expressionless during the 15-minute hearing.

He had pleaded guilty earlier.

Court documents state that he first struck on April 19. An 18-year-old was taking the lift to her flat on the 18th floor at about 7.40pm when he entered the lift stark naked on the second floor.

She dashed out and called her mother, who called the police.

He struck again at 6.35pm the next day, walking into a lift on the second floor in his birthday suit. The 16-year-old girl in the lift ignored him but, as she got off on the fifth floor, he brushed his hand against her buttocks.

She turned around, blocked the entrance to the lift with her body and arms, and asked him what he was trying to do. He managed to squeeze past her and escape down the stairs.

At 6.35pm on June 17, he got into the lift on the ground floor - clothed - with a 10-year-old girl, who was going to the fifth floor. He pressed the button for the third floor and stood behind her.

The girl heard the sound of a zipper being undone, but did not turn around. He came to her side and exposed himself.

She was shocked and he gestured to her to calm down. When the lift got to the third floor, she ran out. She went to the police later with her parents.

By then, the police had gathered closed-circuit television video footage of the incidents. He was arrested on July 6.

Psychiatrists said they have not come across a flasher this young.

- The Straits Times

'Lingerie' man jailed for indecent act in front of neighbours

2011-11-26T00:47:00.000+08:00

A woman, 48, was walking home to her Ang Mo Kio flat when she saw Hui Sai Mun, 45, standing in the corridor wearing only a lacy black top and matching panties.

He was masturbating and smiled at her.

She did not want to pass him so she took a different route to her flat. The 48-year-old housewife then called a neighbour two floors down to complain about Hui's behaviour.

The neighbour's wife went up to check and saw Hui sitting at the main door still wearing the lacy underwear. He then started masturbating in full view of her.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty to committing an obscene act and insulting the modesty of his neighbours and was jailed for a month.

A third charge - for committing an obscene act by wearing a brassiere and panties that were cut in such a way to expose his nipples and private parts while lying on a bench on the night of Nov 3 - was taken into consideration by District Judge Roy Neighbour when sentencing.

- The Straits Times

Section of Evidence Act that can discredit sexual assault victim to be repealed

2011-11-26T00:23:00.001+08:00

The sexual history of a victim of sexual assault soon may no longer be used against her in court.

The Ministry of Law plans to remove a part of the law that provides for this.

The move came after the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) in October, during a public consultation exercise, made a submission to repeal Section 157(d) of the Evidence Act.

Law Minister K Shanmugam announced this on Friday at the launch of AWARE's Sexual Assault Befrienders' Service.

He said: "It is my intention to recommend the repeal of this particular subsection of the Evidence Act. Ultimately, you know, it's got to be... Cabinet has got to sign off on it, and Parliament has got to approve it, but it is certainly my view that it should not exist."

Section 157(d) of the Evidence Act states that when a man is prosecuted for rape, it may be shown that the victim was of "generally immoral character".

AWARE took issue with the phrase on the grounds that it was based on an outdated concept that only "chaste" women should be afforded legal protection.

The group believes that the moral or immoral behaviour of a woman in general has no logical link to her credibility or to whether she consented to sexual intercourse in a specific case.

Mr Shanmugam said the Evidence Act, which is based on the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, was using the English common law of that time... and that such views should not find any expression in Singapore's law.

He added: "That a women's sexual history would show whether she is of moral or immoral character and if she is sexually promiscuous, then she is immoral and therefore she should be less likely to believed, I think that's frankly repugnant."

AWARE, which is running a six-month pilot support service for victims of sexual assault, said if the subsection is repealed, victims of sexual assault will be better protected.

One of AWARE's findings is that there is a very low rate of police reports made. It said one reason why victims may not make a police report is because they are fearful that their past sexual history may be used against them.

Corinna Lim, executive director or AWARE, said: "Sexual assault victims who are actually giving testimony in court, which is already a very difficult thing to do... will not have their sexual history raked up because of this section, except where the defence can prove that it is relevant."

Amendments to the Evidence Act will be brought up in Parliament in the first half of next year.

The Sexual Assault Befrienders Service (SABS) is the first support service for survivors of sexual assault in Singapore. It will be available from November 28.

It has a dedicated helpline, counselling, legal counselling and befriending services. The SABS Helpline number, which operates from 10am to 9.30pm on weekdays, is 67790282.

- Channel News Asia

Beware of "underage girl" online scam

2011-11-24T17:49:00.003+08:00

ONE claims to be a "cute little schoolgirl" looking for "kinky fun" with "daddy".

Another claims to be "friendly and outgoing" and seeking "casual fun" with expatriate men.

Both girls claim to be 18 years old in their online advertisements.

When interested men call the mobile phone numbers listed in the ads, no one picks up.

The girls later initiate SMS conversations with the callers, telling them that they are only 15 but are still game to meet for sex in exchange for money.

Men who agree to meet the girls then end up getting threatened by the girls' angry "fathers", followed by a call from a "police officer".

They are told that they can be arrested for sexually grooming a minor - an offence which carries a three-year jail term and a fine - unless they pay off the "fathers" not to make police reports.

The "father" will then send an SMS demanding an amount that will buy his silence.

This scam, which targets men willing to break the law by having sex with underage girls, is spreading quickly on the Internet.

At least a dozen men here have been almost snared by the ads since they began appearing in March on many websites, including Craigslist, Sgadsoline, SingaporeExpatsOnline and even on a religious forum.

The ads and forum postings feature one girl called "Sonia", who a claims to be a "local Indian and Punjabi mix girl", and a Chinese girl called "Felicia".

"Sonia" seeks "casual fun" with expatriate men while "Felicia" seems to have a thing for father figures.

The latter's latest ad, posted last Thursday on Craigslist, invited men with a "petite lolita fetish" to "click here".

Almost all the ads feature pictures of "Sonia" and "Felicia" in seductive poses.

A student, Joe (not his real name), 20, told The New Paper what happened to him after he contacted Felicia in May.

Joe, who had pretended to be 18, said the girl told him she was 15.

When she asked to meet him after school, he agreed.

Said Joe: "There was a six-hour gap before the 'father' called me. The 'policeman' called me later on."

The "policeman" told him to negotiate with the "father" to avoid getting into trouble with the law.

Said Joe: "He said that because I offered to meet her and she was underage, I would be charged with sexual grooming."

The "policeman" even advised Joe to give the "father" money if that was what it took to solve the matter.

But Joe got suspicious and eventually went to the police.

He said: "It's a simple scam involving three mobile phone numbers. One is for the 'girl', one for the 'father', one for the 'police officer'.

"I managed to wrangle a POSB bank account number from the 'father'. I convinced him that I had fallen hook, line and sinker for the scam. I have given the bank account number and the three phone numbers to the police."

The "father" had asked Joe for $3,000 in exchange for his silence.

Said Joe: "How can an 18-year-old cough up $3,000 in a day? After they gave me the bank number, I stopped answering their calls and they eventually gave up."

He made a police report at Braddell Heights Community Centre. The police confirmed the report was made on May 26.

When The New Paper, posing as a potential client, contacted Felicia, we got a reply, as expected, stating her vital statistics, that she was 15 years old instead of 18 and that two hours with her would cost $200.

After an exchange of text messages with Felicia, her "father" stepped in, sending SMSes, some of which contained profanities, threatening to go to the police.

Soon after, a man claiming to be a police officer called, asking what the SMS exchange was about and whether we knew that Felicia was in fact 15.

He said that as she is underage, we were guilty of sexual grooming and needed to go to Clementi police station the next day.

Before he ended the call, he said he would contact the "father" to see if he was willing to settle things quietly.

Soon after, the "father" sent a text message, stating: "5k". We asked for the amount to be lowered to $3,000.

He responded, saying he would send us the bank account number to transfer the money to.

A 42-year-old Caucasian man, who works in the media industry, has posted two warnings on different websites to tell others about these ads.

Since mentioning the scam in July, he has received about a dozen e-mails from worried men. He declined to be named as he said the men had approached him in confidence.

He said: "I came across a post warning people about the scam so I decided to try it out for myself.

"Everything went like clockwork as expected and when I refused to pay up, the men stopped contacting me and I decided to warn others. That was when the e-mails started coming in."

He said the men in the e-mails were panicking and asked for advice on what they should do.

"Once I'd told them it was just a scam, they were so relieved. For many of them, they had just wanted a good time, but ended up with a nightmare."

Joe, though, is one victim who has been changed by the experience - he has decided not to be tempted by such ads again.

"I told myself that I'll never try this again," he said.

- The New Paper

Taxi driver jailed for indecent act with stepdaughter

2011-11-24T17:47:00.000+08:00

A 37-year-old part-time taxi driver was sentenced to four months in jail yesterday for touching his then 14-year-old stepdaughter in a sexual way.

The court heard that the man, who cannot be named to protect the minor, asked the girl to massage his back at their Choa Chu Kang flat in late 2009.

While he lay on his back fully clothed, he reached out to touch her thigh, then turned over to kiss her on the lips.

He then touched her inappropriately, and tried to get her to touch him back. After which, he requested for sex.

At this point, the girl's mother entered the room. When she saw what was happening, she yelled at her husband, and the girl burst into tears.

The girl remained fully clothed throughout the ordeal.

She is the only child from the wife's previous marriage and is now 16 years old.

The girl's mother did not make a police report, and the incident only came to light when the girl told her principal what had happened in April last year. The school then informed the police.

Defence counsel Noor Marican asked District judge Ng Peng Hong to impose a lighter sentence as the stepfather has promised not to commit the same offence again.

The taxi driver is receiving free representation from Mr Marican under a legal aid scheme by the Association of Criminal Lawyers of Singapore.

The man has since reconciled with his wife, the counsel added. The couple have nine children between the ages of six to 14.

The man could have been jailed for up to two years or/and fined up to $5,000.

- AsiaOne

'Tease my birthday boy'

2011-11-23T13:45:00.001+08:00

As a stripper, Cheryl (not her real name) has received her share of unusual requests, some of which border on the obscene.

But there was one request that she did not expect: Take it off, said a client, for my son.

The call came from a Singaporean mum who wanted her to perform one of her titillating shows at her son's 21st birthday party.

Says Cheryl, a part-time escort for about two years who also performs private striptease acts: "I was surprised. "I didn't know Singaporean parents were so open-minded!" The request was made a few months ago.

Cheryl, a shapely, fair-complexioned woman in her mid-20s, accepted the job and performed her act at a private club in front of a group of about 10 people.

She says: "The boy was very excited when he found out what his mother had planned for him.

"But the mother was not present at the party." Cheryl gave the young man a lap dance, and stripped down to her sexy lingerie at the small party, which took place in a private members club here.

Fellow party goers were hooting and cheering them on when she was performing for the birthday boy, she says.

"And he was excited, and very... pleased indeed," she reveals with a coy purr.

It cost his mother $1,000 for the hour that she was there.

Cheryl works for Urs Truly Escorts. The company's manager, who wanted to be known as Crystal, confirmed the booking and claims that, in the past year, more parents are booking her girls to perform at their children's coming-of-age parties.

"Now, I can receive up to two of such requests from parents every four months or so," says Crystal.

She adds: "It costs $500 an hour to engage any one of my girls for her company alone.

"But an hour-long strip show costs $1,000 and the girl will strip down to her lingerie."

International news agency AFP also reported on the surprising trend in Singapore last week.

It noted that "in a country where public nudity is outlawed - even Playboy can't be sold - strippers say demand for their services is getting stronger despite deep-seated conservatism and the danger of being caught."

Quoting Mr Bryan Tan, 31, head of 2niteok Entertainment, the report noted that he had started the company in response to growing demand. His firm's rates start from $300 for a 20-minute show by a male stripper.

Prices start from $400 for the "Full Monty" - so called after the 1997 UK hit movie which centred around a few blokes turning to stripping to make ends meet. Extra charges apply for special requests like for a stripper to dress up as a policeman or a doctor, the report said.

The New Paper on Sunday checked with 20 other escort agencies and almost all were tight-lipped about their clients. But there was another shocker: An instance of children hiring strippers for their parents.

A part-time male stripper,who wanted to be known only as Joseph, says he was recently booked by the children of a middle-aged Singaporean woman as a birthday surprise.

He recalls stripping down to his underwear at the birthday party before an appreciative crowd that cheerfully egged him on.

"The birthday girl was very shy but I think she definitely enjoyed the show," says Joseph, a veteran of male beauty contests.

There were 10 to 15 people at the party, held at a condominium in an upscale part of Singapore. He recalls that the party consisted of a mixed crowd of men and women, ranging in age from 20 to 50 years old.

During the 30-minute performance, for which he was paid $300, they were screaming and cheering, while the birthday girl sat and "received" his attention with a bright blush on her cheeks.

According to AFP, typically strippers here are white-collar workers by day.And this is the case with Joseph.

On weekdays, the tall, hunky 30-year-old comes across as just another office worker. But come Friday night, Joseph ditches his business wear to slip into something less conservative - a pair of thongs.

Joseph earns about $4,000 every month from his day job in an office. But by stripping, he can earn up to $500 per show.

"I have always been quite an exhibitionist and stripping is easy money for me.

"I will strip down to my thongs for $300 and, for $500, I will whip it offand give the ladies the Full Monty."

Joseph, a graduate from a local university, has been stripping for about four years.

Business, he says, is brisk. "I have been getting a lot more engagements in the past year - especially for hen nights. "So far, I have been booked every Friday and Saturday night by girls who are out looking for a fun time."

Mr Kurt Tay, who owns 4ever Escort, says it is common for escorts to be engaged to perform strip shows.

He says: "The arrangement is strictly between the client and the escort and anybody can make the booking.

"Whether the booking is made by a father for his son or by a daughter for her father - that is not my concern.

"Like myself, I believe most other agencies also do not keep track of such things."

For each girl, Mr Tay charges his clients between $200 and $1,000 an hour.

He also points out that his girls can appear in any degree of nudity when they perform strip shows.

"This depends on how much the client is willing to pay," says Mr Tay matter-of-factly.

Jarrod (not his real name)is fully aware of this arrangement. The engineer hired a stripper for his best friend's stag night two years ago.

The woman he engaged initially said she would keep her lingerie on at the end of her performance.

But she decided to take everything off after Jarrod and his friends gave her a fat tip.

Public nudity is an offence in Singapore. Under the penal code, "any person who appears nude in a public place" or in "a private place and is exposed to public view" can be jailed for up to three months and fined a maximum of $2,000.

But lawyer Gloria James-Civetta says that strippers can appear in the nude in a private place or private event - as long as they do not offend the public at large.

- The New Paper

Cleaner jailed for accusing man of molestation

2011-11-22T21:45:00.001+08:00

A cleaner who had sex with a property agent and attempted to extort money has been sentenced to three months in jail.

Kathijah Bibi Abdullah, 27, threatened Mr Seow Wai Hoe to pay $1,500 to her or she would tell the police he had molested her, reported The Straits Times.

But Mr Seow went to the police to report her.

Kathijah pleaded guilty to committing criminal intimidation by threatening to injure the reputation of Mr Seow by lodging a police report accusing him of molestation.

Mr Seow, 41, had called a chatline on June 26 at 6pm and got to know Kathijah. They exchanged telephone numbers and planned to meet later that evening.

He then picked her up along Bugis Street in his car. They drove to Kent Ridge Park where they chatted and had sex.

Kathijah, who worked as a cleaner, told Mr Seow that she had to go to Plaza Singapura to help a colleague with some cleaning jobs.

During the journey, she asked to borrow $50 from him. He gave her $30 and offered to drive her home after she finished, which he did at 2am.

When they arrived at a carpark near her flat in Bukit Merah, she asked him to wait for her while she went upstairs to get the $30 she owed him.

Mr Seow received a text message a few minutes later, saying that her grandmother spotted her alighting from his car and now wanted to lodge a police report that he had molested her in the park earlier.

She demanded $1,500 for not going to the cops.

Mr Seow bargained the price down to $1,000 and promised to make the first payment of $600 the following day, but he changed his mind and went to the police.

Kathijah was arrested.

She did not have a lawyer and according to The Straits Times, the slim, tattooed woman could have been sentenced to two years in jail or a fine, or to both.

Wife accused of affair with student won't fight divorce

2011-11-22T21:44:00.000+08:00

A female teacher accused of having an affair with her former student since he was 16 has agreed to end her marriage.

Her husband accused her of 'improper associations' with her then-student.

She met the student in 1988 and had an on and off relationship with him over the next 20 years.

The 54-year-old woman, a teacher in a well-known girls' school, told the Family Court she will not contest the divorce proceedings.

Her husband, 47, is the managing director of a company that deals in scientific equipment.

The man told the court in June he wanted to divorce her on the grounds of adultery but did not have any evidence.

However, he said he had proof of her correspondence with the former student.

The woman said in her defence that her relationship with the former student, now a banker married with three children, was not improper.

She also said her husband was abusive, and had hit her at least 10 times.

He had also attacked her with a whip and forced her to kneel for hours. She also accused him of having an affair with the family maid in 2005.

She applied for a personal protection order in 1008, and made police reports against him twice in 2009.

The court heard that they came to a settlement yesterday.

The woman now hopes to reconcile with her two sons, aged 17 and 19.

- AsiaOne

Foreign 'masseurs' muscle in on escort trade

2011-11-20T16:51:00.000+08:00

Dane (not his real name), 30, has been an escort serving male clients for five years. He used to face competition only from other Singaporeans in the industry.

But for about a year now, he has been coming up against foreigners in this discreet trade. Their job is to provide a massage, and then 'extra services' or a 'happy ending', if required.

The foreigners come here for two weeks to a month, promote themselves on Internet websites and via mobile applications, and then leave for a nearby country.

Many of them advertise their services by establishing profiles on websites designed for gay men to meet one another. These sites are international, but have thriving Singapore sections. Some peddle their services more directly on general classified sites such as Craigslist.

A glance through these profiles and ads shows the majority of these foreign escorts and masseurs are from countries like China, Indonesia and the Philippines. There are also Caucasian escorts, while those from China are so popular there is even a website dedicated to them.

Mr Tan Kok Kee, a gender and sexuality scholar from the University of Illinois, who has done research on gay men and gay culture in Singapore for eight years, said the influx of foreign escorts could be due to a general importation of foreigners and the attraction of easy money.

Foreigners contacted said they entered the country on the normal tourist 'social visit' pass, and claimed to be unaware that it is illegal for them to work while here.

Nearly all of the escorts advertise themselves as trained masseurs.

One Indonesian masseur, who advertised himself on an iPhone app called Grindr, said his massage company is based in Jakarta, and that he is in Singapore for only two weeks.

He declined to say how much he has earned, but said it is his second time here, and that he is open to accompanying men for dinner or shopping.

According to individuals contacted and the advertisements, rates range from $80 to $200 per hour, inclusive of extra services.

In comparison, escort agency rates average about $400 per hour, with the escort taking home half the amount.

Services are provided at hotels most of the time, and at the customers' homes.

Nine out of 10 escorts The Sunday Times contacted, both Singaporeans and foreigners, say the massages come with 'extra services'.

Most of them serve both male and female clients, and said they can 'go all the way' with both genders.

The customers are usually married men - who need the most private transactions - and other professionals in their 30s and 40s. They include expats and Singaporeans.

Local escort agencies say they are feeling the heat from foreign imports.

A spokesman for JM Escort and Models, which has been in the male escort industry for eight years, said business has been declining and it has been forced to find customers in other ways, so as not to compete on the same platform.

'It's been happening for about a year, but it's getting a bit out of control,' he said.

Asked why there has been a recent proliferation of foreign competitors, he said: 'The prices in Singapore are high, they earn more over here than in their own country.'

Also, since these escorts are not operating in their own country, and they do not have friends or family here, they can promote themselves quite openly online.

Another local escort, who wanted to be known only as Ryan, said: 'My business is still steady, but I can tell that previously there weren't many foreigners giving competition. Now there are more.'

The 25-year-old is more optimistic, however, adding that society has started to open up, so there will accordingly be greater demand for these services. Since the pie is growing, naturally the supply of escorts will increase, he reckoned.

Escort agencies and social escorts The Sunday Times spoke to said the influx of foreigners is being partly driven by the Internet, which has traditionally been the main avenue to reach the gay community.

Direct contact with clients means escorts can bypass agents; using the Internet also means the trade - a taboo topic in Singapore - is not brought into the open.

Escorts like Dane say they go for HIV testing every three months, and that they insist on safety when oral sex or intercourse is involved.

A spokesman for Action for Aids said there are measures in place to address health risks.

She said: 'Volunteers reach out to those who are in the male escort services as part of their overall education and outreach programmes.'

But the legal status of such service providers is at best murky.

Lawyers said these escorts - and their clients - are unlikely to be charged under Singapore's prostitution laws, which are female- oriented, but they could technically run afoul of Section 377A of the Penal Code, which criminalises homosexual sex. The penalty is a jail term of up to two years.

- The Straits Times

Organisers of SlutWalk Singapore to work with police

2011-11-18T22:35:00.000+08:00

The police and the organisers of SlutWalk Singapore, an anti-sexual violence event, have agreed to work together.

The Straits Times reported that the police initially contacted the organisers to find out more about the event to determine if a permit was needed for it.

SlutWalk events have spread around the world in reaction to a comment by a Toronto police officer. In April, he had said women could avoid being raped by not dressing like "sluts".

Singapore's event, planned to be held on December 4, attracted much attention when blogger Alex Au wrote that the police had asked organisers to apply for a permit, even though the event will be held at Speakers' Corner.

The national daily reported that the police yesterday clarified that Singaporeans can hold an outdoor demonstration without the need for a police permit if the event is held at Speakers' Corner, the event's subject does not touch on race and religion, and it does not involve any foreigners.

Outdoor demonstrations that do not meet these criteria will require a police permit.

The police also reminded organisers of public events to ensure that the necessary permits are duly obtained and that all events are conducted in accordance with Singapore laws.

The organisers will apply for the appropriate permits, and have reportedly already submitted an application for a permit for the December 4 event.

- AsiaOne

Woman admits to incest in first such case here

2011-11-18T22:03:00.000+08:00

A 24-year-old woman who had sex with her father, pleaded guilty to incest yesterday.

The technical executive is the first woman in Singapore to be charged with incest. The case is believed to be the first court case of consensual sex between father and daughter here.

She was first charged early last year with permitting her father, 46, to have sex with her sometime in April 2008.

The incident took place in the master bedroom of their flat in Serangoon.

Neither father nor daughter can be named because of a gag order granted to the defence.

According to earlier reports, father and daughter were always close. When the girl became a teenager she attended drinking session with her father and his friends at coffee shops.

Their relationship became intimate in 2006 when they started hugging and kissing. She was 18 years old then.

Over time, they progressed to touching and fondling each other's private parts when they were alone in the family flat.

On the day of the incident, they had an argument while he was lying on the bed in the master bedroom and she was checking her e-mails on her laptop at the edge of the bed.

She apologised to him and he asked for a hug. Things progressed and they eventually had sex that night.

The Straits Times reported that the court heard that she regretted her actions and feared she would get pregnant.

The matter came to light when the pair had a second argument that got heated. She then smsed a friend to call the police. When they arrived she told them her father had molested her. He was arrested.

The woman has since moved out of the family flat and her mother has filed for divorce from her father.

There will be another hearing in a month's time, when a judge will decide if the woman should be given probation or a jail term.

- The Straits Times

Australian charged with outrage of modesty

2011-11-16T20:20:00.000+08:00

Australian James Anthony Woodburn was on Monday charged in a district court with using criminal force to outrage the modesty of a 28-year-old woman.

He allegedly grabbed her breast in the shopping area at Marina Bay Sands, at 12.20 a.m. on Oct 15. The 44-year-old regional manager of a marketing firm was also charged with insulting her modesty by showing her his middle finger.

The judge granted an adjournment to allow Woodburn's lawyer time to write to the Attorney- General's Chambers to try to get the charges reduced.

Woodburn, a permanent resident here, was released on bail of $15,000. He is allowed to travel overseas as his job requires him to do so.

He left the Subordinate Courts in Havelock Road looking worried. He was accompanied by his bailor and his lawyer.

The case will come up for mention again on Dec 12.

If convicted of using criminal force to outrage the woman's modesty, he could be jailed for up to two years, caned or fined.

Insulting a woman's modesty carries a maximum penalty of a year in jail and a fine.

- The Straits Times

Ex-cleaner jailed 4 years for molesting children

2011-11-16T17:14:00.002+08:00

Some of his victims knew him as Uncle Sivam and, despite their tender years, he had no qualms touching them improperly.

On Monday, Satha Sivam Natisam was sentenced to four years in jail. The 49-year-old had pleaded guilty in October to 13 charges of outraging the modesty of four girls, aged between three and 12 years old.

Most of the offences were committed in the Jalan Bukit Merah area between July 2010 and his arrest in February. The single exception was the molest of a 12-year-old girl in Lower Delta Road in March 2006.

He was arrested in February after he had molested a three-year-old toddler. The court issued a gag order on the identity of the girls.

Satha Sivam, who worked as a cleaner until his arrest, had a previous molest conviction. In 1998, he was jailed for nine months.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Toh Puay San said that a long jail term would be in the public interest as Satha Sivam was 'clearly a risk to society'. As he suffers from schizophrenia, she did not press for caning.

- The Straits Times

Australian charged with outrage of modesty

2011-11-15T20:38:00.002+08:00

Straitlaced Singapore switches on to strippers

2011-11-15T08:08:00.000+08:00

SINGAPORE - Civil servant Joanne Yan, 24, was looking for ways to spice up a private party for a girlfriend who was about to get married when she found just the right idea after trawling websites and forums.

After a booze-fuelled girls' night out at one of Singapore's premier clubs, shrieks of joy erupted when they were joined in their room at a five-star hotel by a surprise guest: a male stripper who did the "Full Monty".

"I wanted my good friend to have a blast on her last night as a single and I knew she would be game enough for a stripper," Yan said.

"Also, I think having a naked guy prance around a room full of girls would definitely lighten the mood," she told AFP.

In a country where public nudity is outlawed -- even Playboy can't be sold -- strippers say demand for their services is getting stronger despite deep-seated conservatism and the danger of being caught.

The police have the power to enter any place, even a private home, where they believe an obscene activity is taking place, but this does not stop strippers from advertising their services.

Typically white-collar workers by day, exotic dancers cater largely to professional Singaporeans in their mid- to late 20s, including heterosexual and gay gatherings.

Bryan Tan, 31, who heads 2niteok Entertainment and has been a stripper for eight years, said more Singaporeans now seek his services.

"The reason for setting up 2niteok Entertainment is to cater for the growing need of Singaporeans to hire strippers for their private parties," said Tan, who works as an administrative officer during the day.

"Striptease is very common in the Western countries, but recently the trend is increasing in Singapore."

The firm's website says rates start from Sg$300 ($236) for a 20-minute show by a male stripper who disrobes down to his underwear -- tips are optional.

To see the man fully naked -- known as "The Full Monty" after the 1997 movie of that title -- prices start from Sg$400, with extra charges incurred for "special requests" such as dressing up as a policeman or doctor.

But the firm's female performers only strip to their lingerie.

One of them is Jasmine Tan, 28, a human resource executive by day who performs three to four times a month.

"In certain months the number may double," she said.

"I believe men love to see a woman in sexy lingerie (rather) than fully nude. Moreover, I usually go alone to perform, so it may be quite unsafe as they may take my nude photos," she said.

Tan does not mind having a roomful of men leering at her body but insists "both sides are not supposed to touch each other's private areas".

"Some clients do ask me for sex after my dance, but I always reject them. I am not a prostitute, but just a striptease entertainer."

Strippers keep their side jobs a secret from their families because it is still a deeply conservative culture.

"In Singapore society, families and friends may find this striptease profession degrading," Bryan Tan said.

Under the penal code, "any person who appears nude in a public place" or in "a private place and is exposed to public view" can be jailed up to three months and fined up to Sg$2,000.

The law also stipulates that police have the right to forcefully enter a private place to arrest an offender.

Strip acts are usually performed in hotel rooms, homes or rented beach chalets, but there are signs that they are gaining acceptance.

A firm called Urs Truly Escorting Agency -- which employs three female strippers who charge between Sg$1,000 and Sg$1,500 for lingerie acts -- said parents are now requesting their services.

"Parents will ask our strippers to perform at their sons' bachelor parties, or 21st birthday parties," the company's sales supervisor, who wanted to be known only as Crystal, told AFP.

Bryan Tan said the most trouble he has encountered came from complaints by other hotel guests.

"When I'm performing in hotel rooms, many times the girls scream too loud and disturb the neighboring guests. Then the hotel staff will come knocking on the door to silence us," he said.

- AFP

Girl, 13, plied with vodka and orange juice; had sex with duo

2011-11-12T21:23:00.001+08:00

A teenager and his neighbour, aged 40, plied a 13-year-old girl with vodka and orange juice and then had their way with her in the back of a lorry parked near Kranji Camp last year.

The boy, now 17, and the girl were schoolmates in a school in the west, and had been in a relationship for two months.

They had broken up a few days before the trio hung out near the camp in April last year, but remained friends.

The boy has since pleaded guilty to having sex with a minor involving penetration.

For the short time in the docks on Friday, the shackled teenager, clad in purple prison overalls, appeared sombre. He will be sentenced on Dec 12, after a report assessing his suitability for probation is submitted to the courts.

His older friend will be tried in the High Court early next year.

None of the parties can be named as the girl is a minor.

The court heard that on April 21 last year, the boy and his neighbour made plans to go for drinks, and invited the girl to join them when she was done with classes for the day.

The girl accepted the invitation.

At around 6pm, the neighbour, driving his company lorry, picked the teenagers up from a bus stop along Boon Lay Drive. The girl was still in her school uniform.

He then drove them to Sungei Kadut, where they got off and climbed into a bigger lorry. They then made their way to a road near Kranji Camp.

There, the neighbour began mixing the drinks in cups he had brought along.

After two drinks, the girl said she was tipsy and wanted to stop drinking, but was talked into having some more by the man.

It did not take long for her to get drunk and throw up. She then lay down and drifted in and out of consciousness.

The neighbour then suggested to the boy that they move to the back of the lorry. They carried the girl there and continued drinking.

At this point, the neighbour told the boy to have sex with the girl, but he refused. He lay down and promptly fell asleep.

When he awoke, he saw his neighbour stripped of his clothes and having sex with the girl, who was also naked and appeared to have passed out.

The neighbour again told the boy to have sex with the girl. This time he did so, although her eyes were shut.

Later, the neighbour drove the lorry to the girl's home, but left her sleeping in it when she complained that her head felt heavy and she could not get up.

She still made it to school later that morning.

Meanwhile, her mother had filed a missing persons report when the girl failed to return from school the day before.

The girl, questioned by a teacher, confessed she had gone drinking with the boy and his neighbour and had sex with both of them.

She was referred to a school counsellor and the police were called in.

The boy, detained in school and quizzed, admitted to having sex with the girl while she was intoxicated.

Although he pleaded guilty, he claimed to have been high on heroin at the time, and that he had committed the act out of fear of the older man.

The boy has a history of inhalant abuse going back to when he was 12.

For sexual penetration of a minor, he could be jailed up to 10 years and fined.

No details are available on the charges that have been laid against the older man.

- The Straits Times

Ex-teacher accused of molesting, performing oral sex on pupils

2011-11-09T13:49:00.001+08:00

A former school teacher has been accused of molesting and performing oral sex on his pupils, in a primary school located in the eastern part of Singapore.

The 37-year-old man allegedly committed the offences on boys aged between 9 and 11 years.

He is believed to have performed the acts between March and May 2009, at various places in the school, including a computer laboratory.

He also allegedly outraged the modesty of his students by touching their groins and buttocks.

In court on Wednesday, the accused said that he will claim trial.

His case will be heard again on January 9 next year.

- Channel News Asia

He masturbates with found disposed diapers

2011-11-05T20:38:00.002+08:00

IN THE first case of its kind, a district court heard yesterday about a man who claimed to have fantasies about eating the faeces of children.

Jasmond Ong Chun Wee, a 31-year-old sales representative, admitted to trespassing into two kindergartens, defacing the walls of a toilet and writing obscene messages on the whiteboard in a classroom.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani told the court that Ong was on his way to a provision shop in April when he passed a PAP Community Foundation kindergarten in Pasir Ris Drive 6.

Feeling sexually aroused, he entered the premises.

There, he wrote down on a whiteboard his fantasies involving little girls, urine and faeces.

The next day, a teacher became alarmed when she saw the scribblings and made a police report.

DPP Vaswani said that on Aug 1, Ong entered Nissi Childcare, also in Pasir Ris, and headed for the toilet, expecting to find improperly disposed diapers, with which he would fantasise and masturbate.

He found several used diapers, which he took with him, smearing their contents on the walls of the childcare centre.

The Straits Times understands that Ong has already been examined by a psychiatrist and found to be free of psychotic symptoms, although he has “dysfunctional personality traits”.

He had previous convictions for committing obscene acts, outraging the modesty of a five-year-old girl and criminal trespass.

He pleaded for leniency, saying he realised he had wronged all the persons involved.

District Judge Roy Neighbour sentenced him to six months’ jail and fined him $2,500. Two other charges were taken into consideration during sentencing.

- The Straits Times

Slutty? We’re just sexy

2011-11-01T20:25:00.001+08:00

So what if you dress like a slut?

To borrow and alter a line from Jessica Rabbit, I'm not bad, I just dress that way. If you subscribe to that, here's an invitation to join SlutWalk Singapore.

Yes, Singapore women are striding forth and getting into the global movement on Dec 4. But you don't have to dress like a slut to take part in SlutWalk Singapore. And, oh, there is no walk either.

Unlike SlutWalks held in western countries where women thronged the streets in skimpy outfits to protest against sexual violence, SlutWalk Singapore organisers here urge supporters to "come as they are" - whether in T-shirt and jeans, fishnets, sari, jacket or tudung.

And instead of a march through the streets, the Singapore version will be a gathering of demonstrators in support of the cause, say organisers. They are hoping for a turnout of at least 300.

One does not need to identify with being a "slut" to be part of SlutWalk because the goal is not to reclaim the word, but to express sexuality without fear, the organisers say on their website.

Supporters of SlutWalk Singapore will converge at Hong Lim Park as that is the only place in Singapore where people can demonstrate without a police permit.

The first global SlutWalk took place on April 3 in Toronto, Canada, after a Canadian police officer said in January that "women should avoid dressing like sluts in order not to be victimised".

Within six months, the march spread to more than 50 countries.

Miss Vanessa Ho, 24, a social worker and part-time lecturer, learned of the movement in June and decided to create a Facebook page on SlutWalk, but she kept the discussion within a small group of friends.

A month later, she decided to make the Facebook page public. She now updates it regularly with commentaries, blogposts and articles.

The SlutWalk Singapore Facebook page has received more than 700 likes.

The New Paper on Sunday understands that the organising committee had more than 10 members when it was formed, but it is now down to just seven members.

Miss Ho says: "Some members left because they could not commit their time to it. We also had a few Singaporeans who were studying overseas and they left the committee as they had to return to school."

The current organising committee's members come from all walks of life.

"We have a film-maker, freelance writer and retiree, ages range from 20s to 50s," Miss Ho adds.

Why adopt the name SlutWalk when they have chosen to downplay the word "slut"? And what would SlutWalk be without a walk?

Team member Vanessa Victoria, 23, a theatre practitioner, explains: "Keeping the name 'SlutWalk' was a move in solidarity with the original movement and the ideas behind it.

"However, after many discussions about the different ways in which we could localise SlutWalk, we decided that because we live in such a culturally and racially diverse country, we should not limit the idea behind the movement to just one English word, or to its meaning."

At the same time, the team feels that it is important to keep the word "slut" as they want people to critically examine the value system behind this word.

Miss Ho adds: "The Association of Women for Action and Research (Aware) has been very supportive in this event and will be holding a free workshop a day before the walk, titled SlutTalk. The workshop, which will be held at The Substation, will touch on topics like what men and women can do to prevent sexual assault by gender equality advocacy."

The goal is to create awareness about victim-blaming.

Stephanie Carrington agrees. The model, actress and TV host says: "Slutty is not just about dress sense. It's how someone portrays herself. It's a harsh word to use on someone. You can dress sexily and not look slutty."

Carrington, who is with Fly Entertainment, is a supporter of women's rights and plans to turn up to support SlutWalk Singapore if she is in town.

She feels that everyone should be treated equally regardless of what he or she wears.

"We all have the right to dress sexy, but we also need to be aware of the risk when we do so and take precautions," says Carrington.

"It is great that such a movement is coming to Singapore and hopefully it will help to change things."

Nobody likes to be stared at like a piece of meat, she adds.

Miss Fei Wong, a Singapore permanent resident, also supports SlutWalk Singapore.

The 32-year-old regional assistant director of sales feels it is time for women to reclaim the right to express their sexuality without fear.

She recalls how she once felt offended by an elderly man as she walked past him in a body-hugging outfit.

"That elderly man was staring down at me, as if he was mentally raping me. I asked him in Hokkien: 'Uncle, what are you looking at?' Then he looked away.

"When a woman dresses up, she is bound to get some attention, but she is not asking for rape," says Miss Wong.

"When we were young, our parents would tell us not to dress too sexy or we would get molested or raped," adds Miss Wong. She feels it is time to challenge the perception that it is acceptable to live in a victim-blaming society, where we are taught "don't get raped", instead of "don't rape".

Youth counsellor Cherie Lee, 25, who also supports the movement, says: "I have met many rape victims who weren't dressed like sluts when the sexual abuse took place. Even elderly women get raped. One can be in jeans and T-shirt and (still) get sexually abused."

Miss Lee, who was second runner-up at this year's Miss Singapore International and also won the title of Miss Body Beautiful, says: "I have a good figure which I work hard to maintain through sports, exercise and maintaining a good diet. I feel that I have a right to dress in a manner that compliments my good figure."

She likes how the Singapore organiser is taking a localised approach in holding workshops leading up to the protest.

"In Singapore, we don't usually see such protests in public," she says. "It doesn't matter if we do not walk down the streets and make a lot of noise in our protest. What's more important is getting the message across."

- The New Paper

Woman with master's degree sells body to pay husband's debts

2011-10-30T22:13:00.000+08:00

A woman shared with Shin Min Daily News on how she ended up as a prostitute to pay his husband's debts.

Mdm Chen, 42, has a master's degree in economics and had married the son of a rich man at the age of 20.

Her father-in-law was the boss of a listed company in Malaysia, but instead of helping with the family business, her husband indulged in gambling and incurred debts of more than $1 million.

Mdm Chen said, "I was a stock appraiser in Malaysia at the time earning RM$50,000 (about S$20,000) a month. But it was not enough to pay my husband's debts. His family disapproved of his behaviour and refused to help him."

To escape their debtors, her husband brought her and their young daughter to Kuala Lumpur, where his gambling habits only got worse. He eventually forced her into prostitution to support his gambling routine at the Genting casino.

"I did all I could to make more money but it was not enough for him to gamble with and pay off his debts. He decided that we could make more money in Singapore, so he brought our daughter and me here."

When Mdm Chen arrived in Singapore, she was made to work at a night club and was at one time a mistress to six different men. But despite earning several hundred thousand dollars from servicing so many men at once, her husband still managed to spend all the money she brought back.

Mdm Chen eventually met a divorced man and started another relationship but her husband found out and went to set fire to the man's house.

The act of arson angered the man's family, who forced Mdm Chen to break up with him.

One good thing did come out of it. Mdm Chen managed to leave her husband for good as he was arrested for the crime and deported from Singapore.

- Shin Min Daily News

Peeping Tom arrested at Ayer Rajah Crescent

2011-10-30T22:11:00.001+08:00

A man who entered a female toilet and took a photograph outside a toilet cubicle was arrested yesterday after two members of the public chased him down.

The 36-year-old suspect fled when a woman, 31, saw a flashing light outside a toilet cubicle she was in at Blk 55 Ayer Rajah Crescent.

After leaving the toilet, she informed her colleagues, who then spotted the suspect behaving suspiciously near the female toilet.

The man fled after he was confronted by them. The victim and her colleagues then gave chose but lost sight of him.

However, their cries for help attracted the attention of two passers-by who managed to chase the suspect down and detain him.

The suspect was subsequently handed over to the police following which he was placed under arrest.

He will be charged in court on Monday under the charges of Criminal Trespass and Insulting the Modesty of a Woman.

If found guilty for trespassing, he might face a jail term of up to three months, a maximum fine of $1,500 or both, and if convicted for insulting the modesty of a woman, he might face a jail term of up to one year, fined, or both.

Acting Commander of Clementi Police Division, Superintendent of Police Rosalind Khoo, commended the two members of public for their public-spiritedness and thanked them for their assistance which led to the arrest of the suspect.

- AsiaOne

Man jailed 12 months for molesting friend's daughter

2011-10-27T20:36:00.001+08:00

A man who was allowed to stay in his friend's flat for a period of time repaid the latter's kindness by molesting his teen daughter.

Abdul Rahim Mahmud, 44, pleaded guilty to hugging and touching the 13-year-old girl at her flat in the north on Oct 6 last year.

He was jailed for 12 months and ordered to be given three strokes of the cane on Thursday.

A district court heard that the man, who is unemployed, got into the unit by at about 1am that day by opening the main door which was unlocked.

He went into the victim's bedroom and sat next to her while she was sleeping on the mattress.

She woke up and told him to leave. He did. But minutes later, he opened the door of the bedroom and was told to leave. He did so.

Shortly, he went back in again and molested her.

The victim cried and tried to call her father using her mobile phone which was charging nearby, but he covered her mouth to prevent her from speaking to her father.

Her father heard her cries over the phone and rushed home. He confronted Rahim who was leaving the victim's bedroom.

Rahim, who had a second charge of trespass taken into consideration, could have been jailed for up to five years, fined, caned or received any combination of the punishments.

- The Straits Times

Hookers using SMS to solicit for sex

2011-10-27T19:16:00.000+08:00

PRC hookers are now using text messaging to look for customers.

A newly-wed man, Mr Zheng (38, manager), recently received such an SMS out of the blue and told reporters that he is afraid his wife may see it.

The SMS said in Chinese, "Hi, I'm from China, I'm fair and very sexy. Call me if you have needs."

Reporters called the number and found a Chinese national woman by the name of Xiao Yu. The 23-year-old comes from Fujian, China, and supposedly has just arrived in Singapore.

She asked the reporter bluntly over the phone, "You want (sex)? When can you come?"

Xiao Yu explained to an undercover reporter that she had paid $3,500 to come to Singapore to work as a night club hostess. Wanting to make more money, she prostitutes herself in the day before she reports for work at night.

When asked whether she is aware of the recent vice raids, Xiao Yu expressed to the reporter that she is willing to take the risk and hopes to earn $5,000 here before her tourist visa expires in two months.

The woman, with 13 other friends, rent a house in the Lavender area near the night club for $350.

When the reporter revealed his identity to Xiao Yu, she left hastily, but not before revealing that her peers all use text messaging to look for customers.

- Shin Min Daily News

Postman molested young girls 75 times, jailed 16 years

2011-10-26T13:06:00.000+08:00

A postman who molested young girls 75 times over a span of 22 years all over Singapore was packed off to jail for 16 years on Tuesday.

Abdul Razak Hamid, 53, pleaded guilty to 12 counts of causing wrongful restraint to the victims aged five to nine when he molested them in various locations such as Ang Mo Kio, Hougang and Yishun between 1994 and last year.

Between Aug 18, 1991 and April 25 this year, police received 53 reports of outrage of modesty against female victims aged five to 11.

On April 20, he was captured on CCTV installed in a lift for committing a similar offence.

He gave himself up a week later after he saw footage of himself on television during a Malay news programme.

A district court heard that he would approach the young victims on the pretext of getting their help to retrieve letters from the letter boxes at the void decks of Housing Board blocks.

He would then grab their hands and drag them to the secluded staircase landings before violating them.

District judge Low Wee Ping, who took 63 similar charges into consideration, backdated his sentence to April 29 when he was first remanded.

Razak, who is married with three young children, escaped caning as he is above 50.

He could have been jailed for up to 10 years on each of the proceeded charges.

- The Straits Times

Hooker offes services to smoker in Chinatown

2011-10-26T02:25:00.001+08:00

Vietnamese hookers are getting bolder in the Chinatown area.

A reader of Shin Min Daily News, Mr Lin (46, sales person), told reporters about his recent experience at Chinatown.

He was with his friend at Chinatown when they were approached by hookers.

"That is not a red light district but more and more Vietnamese girls are soliciting for sex there. The authorities should do something about it!" said Mr Lin.

Mr Lin and his friend were smoking at the staircase outside the MRT station when a hooker approached him.

"She was very young and pretty, and could even speak simple Chinese and English. She started chatting with me, then pulled me to a corner and asked me if I was interested (in sex). She was bold and even quoted her price to me."

Mr Lin had to repeatedly reject the woman before he managed to shake off her advances.

Sources say that the hookers tend to dress plainly to avoid enforcement efforts by the authorities. Rather than the usual revealing clothes and mini-skirts, some of the Vietnamese hookers were even seen wearing jeans.

Reporters visited Chinatown and indeed saw groups of Vietnamese women sitting around the MRT station. It is apparent that the women were not in the area to shop or sightsee. Rather, they were observing the crowd to pick their customers.

Many men were also seen stopping in their tracks to check out the women.

Some of the women appear to have regular customers as they would check their phones, then leave for nearby budget hotels.

According to feedback in the past, PRC hookers soliciting for sex with older men used to be a common sight in Chinatown. It seems the PRC women are now losing their turf to the Vietnamese women.

Has sexting become too prevalent here?

2011-10-17T21:06:00.002+08:00

They are called 'sexts' - sexually explicit text messages that may include naked photographs of the sender.

And the increasing prevalence of 'sexting' among young Singaporeans is adding a dangerous dimension to the dating game.

Rachel (not her real name), a 25-year-old civil servant, told The Sunday Times that she was taken aback when she received such a message from someone she met on a dating forum.

'He sent me an explicit picture first, and then asked me for a picture of my boobs.' She said she somehow felt pressured to respond in kind. 'I thought if I didn't send a picture back, he would think I wasn't fun,' she said.

Rachel even felt stressed over finding the most flattering angle to take a shot of her breasts so as to impress the guy.

In the end, she regretted it.

'I did worry he might circulate it. Even though I didn't reveal my face, he could easily capture a screenshot with my name on it,' she said.

'I wouldn't do it again for someone who is not my partner.'

Jane, a 26-year-old airline customer service officer, recalled how helpless she felt when a former boyfriend threatened to circulate her sexted photos when their relationship ended.

She said: 'It was really scary and depressing. I tried to talk him out of it but I couldn't do anything at all... Thankfully, he didn't do that in the end.

'I never used to worry about sending these texts... but after that incident, I stopped. It was only after a year into my current relationship that I started sending my boyfriend pictures.'

A recent study by Melbourne University researcher Shelley Walker highlighted the problem of the gradual normalisation of the sexting practice among teenagers.

It pointed the finger at a sexualised media culture as one reason why young people were feeling the heat to sext, sometimes in order to just fit in with their peers.

'There's pressure that girls experience from boyfriends mainly but also from boys they don't necessarily know,' she said in an interview with Australian media.

'Then there's the pressure that young men talked about - the pressure to be sending images out, to have the images on their phones. A couple of guys talked about being called 'gay' (for not having images on their phones).'

Indeed, an informal online Sunday Times poll of about 700 male and female respondents, mostly aged between 16 and 25, found just how prevalent the practice was here.

Nearly half said they had sexted before, sending images of their breasts, legs, bums and even genitalia.

The poll results also showed that those who sexted were likely to send the pictures only to their partners, rather than strangers.

When asked why they do it, many indicated it was because it was something they found fun and exciting.

They also felt that sexting was one way to keep the relationship interesting, or a way to stay close in a long-distance relationship.

Ivan (not his real name), 33, who has sexted graphic pictures of himself to his girlfriend, said: 'I see it as an extension of a physical relationship... There's nothing to hide. Besides, there's a thrill in having pictures like these. It feels a little like breaking the rules.'

Assistant Professor J. Patrick Williams from the Nanyang Technological University's sociology division tried to explain the phenomenon.

He said that people have always shared sexual information, whether it's in written form or a magazine picture.

But now technology has made it easier to communicate and share this information.

And what he termed the 'Facebook mentality' is one reason why sexting has become less of a taboo.

'If young people inhabit social worlds which place value on being sexually active and sharing everything instantly with others, their media usage is going to align with those values,' he said.

'If you're telling people where you checked in, what you're wearing and how you're feeling, this mentality is going to encapsulate sexuality at some point.'

Prof Williams warned that exposure to such graphic images will further speed up the process of adolescents becoming sexualised.

This is a process which, he said, ought to be gradual.

Also, young people who sext their explicit photos may not have thought through what can happen once they hit the 'send' button, he added.

There are legal ramifications to think about (see second story), as well as the risk of the photos being shared without consent or carelessly misplaced.

This is why Anne (not her real name), 26, makes sure her boyfriend deletes the photos after receiving them.

She said: 'You never know who might get their hands on the phone... What if you become another Edison Chen?'

The Hong Kong actor and a number of female stars were involved in a sex photo scandal in 2008. Pictures of him having sex with the women were taken from his computer and put out on the Internet after it was sent for repair.

That scenario could well prove the biggest nightmare for those who sext.

Mr Travis Yang, 28, who works in the banking industry, has never sexted, nor does he ever plan to. In fact, he thinks sexting is just plain strange.

'If you're sexting someone you don't really know, that's weird,' he said. 'If you're sexting your partner, why wouldn't you just do the real thing? Sexting is less intimate.'

Mr Yang added that to him, sexting indicated a lack of self-respect. 'If you know a girl exposes herself so easily, you would think she is cheap,' he said. 'Using a different medium does not change the impact of what you do.'

But there will always be those who disagree. Jane said that despite the dangers, she still sends her boyfriend sexts as a 'treat'.

'I'm sure he likes looking at the pictures. Having my face in them makes the photos seem more personal. Doing this also makes me feel more confident about my body,' she said.

- The Straits Times

Man admits to sexual offences with 12-year-old boy

2011-10-10T19:53:00.001+08:00

An unemployed man made a 12-year-old boy he met earlier in a toilet perform oral sex on him and vice versa, a district court heard on Monday.

Tan Geok Kim, 60, admitted to two counts of sexually abusing a minor at his flat in Eunos Crescent on Aug 12, 2009.

The court heard that the two had met earlier at the toilet of the Eunos MRT station. Tan followed the student out and told him that he was 'very handsome'.

He asked for the boy's contact number, intending to meet him for oral sex.

After the boy had finished his classes the same day, the pair met at the control station of Eunos MRT Station. Tan then took him to his flat where he kissed the victim in the bedroom.

He then made the victim perform oral sex on him. He did likewise on the victim.

After the victim had showered, Tan offered to pass a pornographic VCD to him but the boy refused. He left and called the police.

Tan, whose case was adjourned to Nov 9, faces a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine on each charge.

- The Straits Times

NSman charged with having sex with minor

2011-10-05T18:07:00.001+08:00

A 22-year-old National Serviceman was charged in court on Wednesday with having sex with an underage student.

The girl, who cannot be named to protect her identity, was 15 years old when the offences were first committed in May 2008.

The accused, who's tanned and wears spectacles, was charged with three counts of having sex with a minor, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of criminal intimidation.

He allegedly committed the offences on five occasions between May 23, 2008 and June 2009 at a flat in Jurong.

He also allegedly performed oral sex on her and threatened to post her nude pictures online.

His case will be heard again on November 14.

- Channel News Asia

Singapore mum wants to be a porn star

2011-10-04T17:12:00.004+08:00

A Singaporean mum who won Miss Erotica title in New Zealand has stated that she wants to be a porn star.

Ms Audrey Tan, 27, became the first Asian to be voted in August as the most popular sex siren for her work as a nude model in New Zealand.

The single mother of two children - aged four and eight - beat eight other contestants in a contest organised by adult-theme events organiser Erotica Lifestyles Expo.

But as far as her mother in Singapore knows, Ms Tan is working in a university in New Zealand, reported The New Paper.

Despite having moved to New Zealand with her father and stepmother when she was four years old, Ms Tan, who is a New Zealand permanent resident, still holds a Singapore passport and considers herself a Singaporean.

"Since I was young, I've always been a bit of a rebel. I've always been curious and interested in the adult entertainment industry," told Ms Tan to The New Paper.

Ms Tan, who holds a legal executive diploma from Auckland University of Technology, danced part-time as a stripper when she was 18 years old, while holding a day job in a law firm.

She quit stripping for a year but returned to it and took up posing nude recently after breaking up with her boyfriend.

She also spent around $9,000 for a trip to Middle East to enlarge her breasts from a B-cup to a DD-cup. Ms Tan, who earns up to $1,300 per photo shoot, said that it was cheaper and better than doing it in New Zealand.

"When you've got it, flaunt it. That's my philosophy," said Ms Tan.

As reigning Miss Erotica, she will need to take part in the controversial "Boobs on Bike" parade, which features topless women on motorcycles in New Zealand cities.

Ms Tan says it's not the money that she is after.

"The money's not great, but the title will give me the exposure I need to make it big as an international sex star," said Ms Tan.

"Annabel Chong has done it, Tila Tequila is doing it, so what's wrong with a dream of being the next Singaporean to make it big on the scene?" said Ms Tan to The New Paper.

Ms Chong, also known as Grace Quek, is a former porn star who is infamous for her 251-men sex romp over a ten-hour period, whereas Singapore-born Tequila is known for her appearances in men's magazines.

When asked if she was concerned about contracting sexually transmitted diseases, Ms Tan said she has no qualms as it is illegal to have commercial sex without protection.

She also claimed that her employer has no problems with her other career as she keeps both jobs separate.

Ms Tan usually visits her mother in Singapore once a year.

"I'm sure my mum will be shocked, but I don't think she'll be entirely surprised. She's a typical Asian mum who wanted me to become a doctor or a lawyer.

"Working in the adult industry is just another career path, but maybe not what she had in mind," said Ms Tan.

She also said that although her mum will initially be shocked, she thinks she will be even more shocked to find out that she had her breasts done.

Ms Tan reckons her mum would have overcome the surprise and will be talking to her as usual by the time she comes back later this year.

- The New Paper

Woman watches hubby have sex with Vietnamese brides

2011-10-03T20:18:00.000+08:00

A 60-year-old man in Singapore has been allowed by his wife to take young Vietnamese brides but only on the condition that she gets to watch their "child-making process", reported China Press.

The condition had so far scared off three young Vietnamese women recommended by a bride agency to the couple.

The daily quoted the agency's owner, Marco Lim, as saying that in the past several years, he had recommended women to the couple, the latest being a few months ago.

"The childless couple approached my agency and shortlisted the candidates. Each woman tried to live with them but the first two did not even make it past two weeks.

"They left and returned to Vietnam," he said, adding that the third woman, a 25-year-old, stayed for three months.

Lim said he only found out about the reason behind the failed relationships after he coaxed the women into telling him the truth.

"They must have felt pressured because the wife would watch them carefully each time they had sex with the man. I was told that the wife would even set the schedule for the man to have sex with the women.

"She also held on to their passports and forbade them from making calls," he said.

- The Star/Asia News Network

Teacher accused of having sex with 14-year-old student

2011-10-01T15:03:00.000+08:00

A former teacher was charged on Friday with having sex with a student on 18 occasions. He was also charged with one count of attempted sex.

The 41-year-old allegedly attempted to have sex with the 14-year-old in a room at the girl's secondary school in late 2007.

He is said to have sex with her almost once a month in the same room from Nov or Dec 2007 to Dec 2008.

He is said to have taken the teen to a carpark at Upper Seletar Reservoir Park on six occasions from January to around mid-June 2009.

He cannot be named as there is a gag order.

The case is fixed for a pre-trial conference on Nov 19. He is out on $5,000 bail.

- The Straits Times

Man fined for living on immoral earnings

2011-09-30T17:00:00.001+08:00

A former bar manager was fined a total of $8,000 on Friday for living on immoral earnings and managing a contact point for prostitutes.

Balamurugan Thiyanamuthi, 30, admitted to knowingly living in part on the earnings of a 29-year-old Filipina and managing Trafford Bar in Arab Street as a place of assignation between Oct 22, 2010, and Mar 6.

The court heard that the Filipina and her two colleagues from the Philippines were working concurrently at the pub as performing artistes and prostitutes.

In the course of their work, Balamurugan had told them that apart from being performing artistes, they were also expected to 'go out with customers', which the Filipinas knew to mean that they had to provide sexual services to customers who brought them out of the pub.

Customers who took a fancy to any of the women would have to pay upfront for the sexual services at $200 to $300 to Balamurugan, who was also the cashier. The earnings would be split equally.

In the charge proceeded, the court heard that the 29-year-old dancer had earned around $3,000 from prostitution. She received about half and the remainder was kept by Balamurugan on behalf of the management.

He could have been jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000 for living on immoral earnings. For managing a place of assignation, the maximum penalty is a $3,000 fine and three years' jail.

- The Straits Times

Man fined for committing obscene act inside nightspot

2011-09-29T22:14:00.000+08:00

An Australian man was fined S$1,500 on Thursday for committing an obscene act in a Prinsep Street nightspot at around 11pm on Tuesday.

36-year-old Aaron Benjamin Butcher was caught with a woman performing oral sex on him inside a KTV room at the Embazy club. He could have been jailed up to three months, fined or both.

It is believed the woman, a Filipina, was one of the outlet's employees, 22-year-old Avila Rosela Mae Mallon.

Two of her colleagues, who are also Filipinas, were allegedly found inside the same KTV room with their breasts exposed. It is believed they are Lumbre Carla Jane Alaras and Cacho Jaquelyn Rosario, both 23 years old.

But the three women did not turn up in court on Thursday and warrants of arrest for them have been issued.

Channel NewsAsia understands that the trio were employed by the company that owns Embazy but they were not supposed to be working in the nightspot.

If convicted of appearing in a state of undress in a public place, Alaras and Rosario can each be jailed up to three months, fined a maximum of S$2,000, or both.

The police said the group was arrested during a licence checking operation at entertainment outlets on Tuesday evening.

- Channel News Asia

Judgment reserved on constitutional challenge to gay law

2011-09-27T21:25:00.000+08:00

A lawyer is challenging a law which criminalises gay sex by arguing that it is against the constitutional rights of gay men.

Lawyer M Ravi's client Tan Eng Hong was initially charged under Section 377A for performing fellatio on another man in a public toilet in CityLink Mall in March 2010.

Mr Ravi then filed the constitutional challenge and the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) replaced the charge to committing an obscene act in public.

Mr Tan, 48, was subsequently convicted and fined $3,000 under this law as was his partner Chin Chee Shyong, 41.

On Sept 27, Mr Ravi asked the Court of Appeal to allow the constitutional challenge to be heard. He said that this was necessary because the existence of the law means gay men could face threat of possible prosecution in the future, even though Members of Parliament had said they would not be prosecuted for sexual acts in private.

He also said it is discriminatory as the maximum two-year jail sentence for gay sex in public places is heavier than the maximum of a three-month jail term for sex between a man and a woman in public. There is also no similar law that criminalises sexual acts among lesbians, Mr Ravi added.

Arguing there was no necessity for the constitutional challenge, Deputy Public Prosecutor Aedit Abdullah said that Mr Tan had pleaded guilty to committing an obscene act in a public place to the annoyance of others. Since Mr Tan was not prosecuted under 377A, he had no standing to argue that his constitutional rights were being violated by that particular law, the prosecutor said.

However, DPP Abdullah told Appeal Judges Andrew Phang and V K Rajah and Justice Judith Prakash that the Attorney-General's Chambers cannot give a 'binding promise' that gay men would not be prosecuted under 377A.

Judgment will be delivered on a later date.

- The Straits Times

What's Coke got to do with contraception?

2011-09-26T17:52:00.002+08:00

Singaporeans aged between 20 and 35 are still clueless about contraception, if the findings of a global survey are anything to go by.

The World Contraception Day 2011 survey - which was conducted online last month - was sponsored by Bayer Healthcare and supported by an alliance of 10 international organisations involved in sexual health, including the Asia Pacific Council of Contraception (APCOC).

Out of the 200 Singapore respondents, eight in 10 said they do not use any contraceptive method such as condoms when having sex with a new partner. Of these, about a quarter attributed this to their partner's preference. The survey also found that 25 per cent of Singapore respondents believe in at least one contraception myth.

According to the survey, the most frequently cited misconception was that withdrawing the penis before ejaculation (34 per cent) is an effective method to prevent pregnancy. Other misconceptions about ways to prevent pregnancy which were cited were having a bath or shower after sex (6 per cent), "staying upside down for two hours" (3 per cent) and rinsing the genital area "with Coca-Cola" (3 per cent).

The study also found that among Singapore respondents, the Internet was the most common source of misinformation on contraception, followed by friends and religious leaders.

While the condom was found to be the most widely used contraceptive method, some 42 per cent of Singapore respondents said that they are not using any form of contraception during sex.

About 6 per cent of respondents said they are not aware of any contraception method - a finding which surprised Professor P C Wong, a senior consultant with the department of obstetrics and gynaecology at the National University Hospital.

Prof Wong, who is also a council member of the APCOC, pointed out that the level of public education here is good and contraception is also freely available.

He added: "It could then be individual lifestyle choices…or carefree attitudes which is worrisome."

Noting that abortions among teenagers and the number of people contracting sexual transmitted diseases have been on the rise, Prof Wong said the survey indicated a greater need for accurate and reliable information on contraception.

He urged Singaporeans to seek advice from doctors, such as their family physicians, on the appropriate contraception methods.

- TODAY newspaper

Circular Road area near Boat Quay is latest to get seedy reputation

2011-09-26T02:52:00.003+08:00

As soon as darkness descends, dozens of scantily clad women emerge under neon signs and hover around the entrances of their establishments.

'Darling,' they call out coyly to passers-by, 'come in for a drink, you'll have a good time, I promise.'

This is the new reality for many patrons who frequent Circular Road, a stretch of shophouses behind Boat Quay now packed with pubs with names like Kriselle and Mambo 5.

As many as 15 such bars have sprung up along both sides of the road in the past year, much to the consternation of other businesses there.

A shop owner who wanted to be known only as Melissa, because she is afraid of offending the bar owners next door, said the situation is getting worse.

'My shop is sandwiched by two such bars, and my customers have complained of harassment and touting to me many times. We have lodged complaints, but still nothing is being done, and we feel helpless,' said the owner of a beauty salon, who has been operating there for the past seven years.

Some businesses have even upped and left.

Matchmaking agency Lunch Actually, which used to occupy the upper floors of a shophouse in Circular Road, moved out in February this year to Penang Road.

Its chief executive Violet Lim said: 'Things weren't so bad during the day, but many of my clients come after work and get solicited by these girls. Think of the irony of the situation, it is just not professional.'

Mr David Wu, a co-owner of the Unca Bunca bar, which caters to the office crowd, said: 'It seems that these bars have come up after other areas like Duxton have been cleaned up. If you ask the other business owners, they'd rather not have them here.'

Asked if his business has been affected, he revealed that he has spoken to one of the bar owners to make sure the girls leave his patrons alone. He had seen them trying to entice his customers.

Boat Quay, a stone's throw from the financial district, became the first grand riverfront attraction after the Government gave it a major makeover in 1993.

Shophouses there, as well as those behind it in Circular Road, were occupied by hip bars and upmarket restaurants.

Within a few years, however, Circular Road became a battlefield for drunken brawls, which even led to the police setting up a mobile police post there on weekends.

After the fights died down, massage parlours offering 'special services' started popping up.

'Right now, we have got both the parlours and the bars, but you can't blame them. For the landlords, it is just another commercial decision,' said Mr Wu.

The shops at Boat Quay - unlike those at Clarke Quay, which have just one landlord, CapitaLand - are owned by individuals and large companies such as the Hong Leong Group.

That means landlords look for what would earn them the highest rental yield, and care less about the image of the area, said property firm PropNex's chief executive Mohamed Ismail.

'It is a vicious circle,' he said. 'Once a few such bars gain momentum, it creates a niche by itself and other operators are prepared to fork out more to get in on the action.'

Mr Marc Sim, director of brand consultancy firm Mcube, said the less savoury bars are generally short-lived - from a few months to less than two years - because of police enforcement efforts.

'If this goes on, it might tarnish Boat Quay's image even further, and it will be bad for the more respectable businesses there to be associated with sleaze,' he said.

A check by The Sunday Times when it visited the area last week found most of the clientele to be male.

The girls, mostly Filipinas wearing tube tops, short skirts and fishnet stockings, park themselves outside the bars in groups of four or five. They call out to any prospective male patrons who walk by and, at times, even try to pull them into the bars.

The police said that while they have not seen an increase in crime in the area, they will continue to carry out frequent patrols.

MP for the area Denise Phua said that she, too, has noticed an increase in the number of such pubs in recent years, and plans to speak to the authorities.

'It is important that the police and the relevant authorities ensure it does not degenerate into an area of crime, which will discourage tourists and locals from patronising the area. It is better to do something before it's too late,' she said.

The owner of one such pub, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said: 'We are running a legit business, and bear in mind it always takes two to tango. What the girls and the customers do is their business.'

But the reactions are mixed among members of the public.

Private banker Alan Lai hits the strip about three times a week because it is close to his workplace.

The 35-year-old said: 'The wild image of the place is exciting, so cleaning it up too much might cause many patrons to lose interest. It is a fine line to draw.'

Others, like account executive Jamie Kwee, 25, said: 'It is such a turn-off to be harassed constantly while walking through. I avoid the area altogether now.'

- The Straits Times

He molest daughter for 7 years since she was 9

2011-09-23T18:52:00.000+08:00

FATHER was jailed yesterday for subjecting his daughter to seven years of sexual abuse – starting from when she was just nine.

The 45-year-old began molesting the girl in 2003, leaving her feeling sad, embarrassed and disgusted. He carried on doing it until last year, when she finally told her mother and older sister.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to two years and three months in prison after pleading guilty to outraging her modesty and loan shark-related offences.

He was also fined $150,000 and ordered to be given six strokes of the cane.

The victim, who is now 17, was molested for the first time after her father found her resting in the family’s master bedroom, Assistant Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran told the court.

He lay beside her on the bed and touched her inappropriately. Too frightened to protest, she pretended to be asleep.

But her father, who cannot be named to protect her identity, carried on groping her.

He stopped only when she turned her body away from him.

The following year, the girl was in her bedroom when her father lay beside her and started to rub her. She became uncomfortable and tried to move away, but he held on to her hand and said she should stay for a while, asking her whether it felt “nice”.

About 20 minutes later, she excused herself and left the room.

In August last year, she was in her bedroom when her abuser came in and asked her for a massage. When she refused, he jumped on top of her and kissed her. She struggled, pushed him away and asked him to leave.

Once he was out of the room, she locked the door. The victim waited for her older sister to return home, then confided in her about what had happened. Her mother advised her to make a police report.

She later told a senior consultant with the Child Guidance Clinic that the abuse had left her with feelings of embarrassment, sadness and disgust.

The court heard that the father also opened bank accounts on a loan shark’s behalf.

He had been borrowing heavily since 2000 after suffering financial difficulties. Last September, an illegal lender called Sam offered him $500 monthly to open three accounts in his name.

The father did as he was asked, and then handed the ATM cards to one of Sam’s runners. The loan shark’s syndicate used the accounts to collect repayments from debtors, who would transfer funds into them.

For each of the three charges of outraging modesty, the father could have been jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or any combination of the three.

Helping a loan shark could have earned him up to four years in jail, six strokes of the cane and a $300,000 fine on each of the five counts.

- The Straits Times

Swim coach jailed 18 months for indecent act

2011-09-22T02:26:00.000+08:00

A 28-year-old freelance swimming instructor received an 18-month jail sentence for getting a seven-year-old girl to touch him.

He faced three charges each under the Children and Young Persons and Films Act admitted to two indecent act offences and one of obscene films possession at his Ang Mo Kio flat.

The victim and her five-year-old sister were having lessons at their condominium pool last October when he asked the victim to touch him on the pretext of teaching her about private parts. He then told her not to tell her parents.

Two months later he reminded the girl of her coming swimming test and said that if she touched him, she would not have to take the test.

She agreed and he 'rewarded' her by making her swim shorter laps.

This time, however, the victim told her mother about the incident, who informed the police.

The swimming instructor could have been fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to two years for each charge of indecent act. For the offence under the Films Act, he could have been fined $500 for each film and/or jailed for up to six months.

- AsiaOne

Peeping tom detained by duo

2011-09-22T02:23:00.000+08:00

A 43-year-old man, who had been peeping underneath cubicles in the female toilet, was detained by two public-spirited men.

A woman was in the toilet of a factory building at Ayer Rajah Crescent Industrial Estate when she realised that someone was peeping at her and screamed. The incident happened on Sept 20.

The suspect immediately fled the scene.

Two men, Mr Wong and Mr Chen, who were working in the area, heard her cries and gave chase.

Police officers arrived shortly after and placed the suspect under arrest.

The suspect will be charged in court on Sept 22 for criminal trespass and insulting the modesty of a woman. If convicted, he could be jailed for up to three months or fined up to $1,500.

- AsiaOne

I am gay and my mum's okay

2011-09-20T22:16:00.002+08:00

Jubilant that a routine HIV checkup had proven negative, Mr Iggie Manuel, 44, phoned his mother in Utrecht, Netherlands, to share his joy.

In response, she quizzed him on why he had to take the test.

Gingerly, the confession slid out. "Mum," he said, "I'm gay."

Mrs Jeanette Van Putten, 66, told her son: "You're still my baby, and I still love you. I was just waiting for you to tell me."

It has been about 10 years since the freelance emcee and host came out of the closet to his Eurasian Singaporean mum - but he can still remember her words like it was yesterday.

Her acceptance brought tears to his eyes, and he still chokes at the recollection. He said: "I always felt like it was my mother's unspoken expectation that I get married and give her grandchildren.

"I also thought that being gay was taboo for her."

It turns out that his fears were unfounded, although his mother acknowledged to this reporter that for years, she had bugged him with questions about when he was going to get hitched.

"When he visited me in Holland about 10 years ago, he used to go out with both girlfriends and boyfriends," said Mrs Van Putten, who moved to Holland 25 years ago when she married her second husband.

She and Mr Manuel's father divorced when he was in Secondary 1.

She said: "I didn't know what was going on. I thought he might be quite sensitive about it, so I didn't confront him directly.

"I think his siblings knew that he was gay for many years, but never told me because they felt that it was important for him to do it himself."

Mr Manuel has an older sister, a younger brother and a younger sister, aged 47, 42, and 40 respectively.

She told The New Paper on Sunday over a long-distance call: "He's my son. I'm not going to chuck him aside just because he's gay. He's my flesh and blood."

Not so with Mr Manuel's dad, who took care of him after the divorce.

His father found some gay literature and movies in his room when he was 24. The response was hurtful. Mr Manuel said: "My dad is quite old-school, and when he found out, he hit me with a stick, spat on me and called me all sorts of profanities."

He then moved out of the family home. "I made my own way and didn't depend on him any more. At my lowest point, I was making a living as a trishaw rider in Chinatown," said Mr Manuel, who has also tried event organising in the past. He and his father are still estranged.

Mr Manuel's story was a tough one to find for this newspaper. Even though Kumar became the first local celebrity to publicly admit his sexual orientation earlier this week, most people in the gay community we spoke to had issues coming out to their parents - more so in print.

Four years ago, there was a raging debate over Section 377A of the Penal Code. This piece of legislation criminalises sex between mutually consenting adult men.

Gay campaigners and others wanted the section abolished, while conservatives pushed for the status quo.

Wrapping up a two-day Parliament debate on the issue in October 2007, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the section would be kept because Singapore is "basically a conservative society", where family means one man marrying one woman and bringing up children within that framework of a stable family unit.

"It's better to accept the legal untidiness and ambiguity. It works, don't disturb it," he had said then.

PM Lee had also urged Singaporeans to maintain a balance by upholding a stable society with traditional heterosexual family values, but with space for homosexuals to live their lives and to contribute to society.

Since then, there have been same-sex marriages across the world and reports of celebrities having children with their same-sex partners. In Singapore, people gather every year in Hong Lim Park to show support for Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay and Transsexual rights.

Yet many were still reluctant to speak to this reporter.

"It really still is a conservative, and in some elements, very homophobic, society," said a woman who refused to be named or photographed. Her parents think her female partner is her co-tenant in the flat where they live.

Another spoke about how he was chased out of his home by his father when the latter put two and two together.

"My dad found out because there were always tell-tale signs. I was always with a guy, and he saw photo albums of my partner and I on holiday.

"There were no questions asked. He just told me to get out of the house."

Father and son have not spoken since, nor have the two tried to contact each other through the years.

"I was not angry, I was not surprised. I would say that I was resigned to the fact that he reacted that way. I had already expected that it would be like that if he found out. I simply reacted with an instinct to survive. I shall respect his decision to severe ties."

Another man told The New Paper on Sunday rather poignantly that he is envious of those who can come out to their parents.

"My parents don't know," he said matter-of-factly. Even though he has been openly gay with his friends and colleagues.

He acknowledges he feels guilty that his parents will not have the grandkids that they so dearly wish to have.

He said: "It's very western to say, 'Don't you want to come out to them and lead your own life?'"

"But I disagree, because it would hurt Asian parents - well, at least mine - to know that their son/daughter is gay.

"I'd rather keep my life secret from them than to hurt them."

He added sombrely: "Coming out to parents is a luxury for Asian homosexuals, I feel."

For Mr Manuel at least, there are high hopes for a romantic future. He's been in a committed relationship for the last three years.

He is looking to purchase his own flat and live in it with his partner, whom he hopes to propose to at the Eiffel Tower in Paris next year.

They have not met Mrs Van Putten in the flesh. But they have Skype sessions.

And Mrs Van Putten does gush a little about her son's partner - telling this reporter how sweet she felt he was.

Her advice to other mothers struggling to accept their child's sexual orientation?

It's not all about you.

"You can't be selfish and only think about yourself," she said. "Maybe it's true that your son won't be able to carry on the family line like you hope, but you can't force him.

"He needs his own happiness, and that's more important."

"You can't be selfish and only think about yourself. Maybe it's true that your son won't be able to carry on the family line like you hope, but you can't force him. He needs his own happiness, and that's more important."

- The New Paper

Kumar says he lied about his sexuality because...

2011-09-15T16:47:00.004+08:00

WHEN you’re a cross-dressing celebrity, people will wonder and whisper about your sexuality.

So it was with comedian Kumar, who not only had to contend with whispers, but also with people who openly asked him: “Are you gay?”

Each time, his answer was a straight “NO!”

In 1993, The New Paper ran a front page (above) with the headline “Who says I’m gay?” after Kumar told reporter Brian Miller: “I’m not a homo. I’m not gay.”

In 2005, he again denied being a homosexual in another TNP article.

The closest he came to admitting it was in 2009 when he was again asked the question in an interview with gay website fridae.asia.

“I think everybody else is afraid to say it. But why state the obvious?” he replied then.

But now, Kumar has left no doubt about his sexual leanings, saying with confidence, “Yes, I’m gay” in his coffee-table book, Kumar: From Rags To Drags.

The book, written by Ivan Lim, a former TNP journalist and columnist, was launched yesterday.

Among the guests at the launch was Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan.

So, why did Kumar have to lie about it all those years only to come out of the closet now?

When TNP posed him this question during the launch, the 43-year-old comic veteran said: “When you’re 40-something, people take you seriously.

“And when you tell people you’re 40, anything you say, they will believe.”

He also said that he would just deny that he was gay during his early days in the industry because he didn’t know how to tackle questions from journalists about his sexual orientation.

The book promises to reveal a side of Kumar that people have never seen.

The chapter “Fairy Queen” is the most revealing.

Kumar said it wasn’t easy to come out of the closet despite his homosexuality being “plain as day” to many people.

“If I want people to understand me, I think I have to be able to open myself. How to help people when I myself am in denial?” he said in the interview.

In the book, he also recalled his difficult childhood. He said he came from a broken family and was often made fun of.

People called him names like Ah Kua (Hokkien slang for an effeminate person) all the way from primary school to national service.

“I was so stressed. I was always wondering why I was different from everyone. There was nobody like me.”

But female classmates would be close to him because they felt that he was one of them.

Kumar also reveals in the book how an older man had molested him when he was 10. It was this experience, he said, that made him realise he craved the physical affection of a man.

He calls himself a “cougar” (usually referring to women who have a relationship with a younger man) when talking about his current relationship with an unnamed 23-year-old man in his book.

“He is straight. I’m a cougar.” he said, commenting on the circumstances.

He said his partner still goes out with girls and might be bi-sexual.

“I’m not okay with him going out with women, but I accept it. He is not cheating on me. If he is cheating on me, he’d go out with another guy,” Kumar said.

He feels that this relationship makes “his life exciting” with the special moments which they share.

“For my birthday, he was outside my door waiting with a bouquet of flowers,” he said.
Still, there is a tinge of melancholy as he ended the chapter by saying: “There may not be a happily ever after, but we are in this relationship happily.”

Kumar also wanted to dispel some misconceptions about his 20-plus years as an entertainer.

On him being perceived as arroganthe said that it comes from the expectations of him as a performer.

“When people see me on TV, they think that I’m their friend and expect me to say more,” he said.

“If you want a picture, I’ll do it. But after the picture, if you want a conversation, I can’t. I don’t know you.”

He said that he couldn’t be “plastic” after years of being an entertainer and that he had to be able to separate real friends from acquaintances.

“All the air kisses they give at the party, but they actually don’t care if you’re dead,” he said, referring to those who just wanted to rub shoulders with him.

On talk about him being promiscuous, Kumar said: “It’s because I have many guy friends around me and they all assume that I’m sleeping with them.”

As a result of these rumours, he even tells his straight friends who are close to him not to hang out with him too often if they wanted to have girlfriends.

As for talk that he only goes out with Caucasian men, he said: “Caucasians don’t even turn me on.”

- The New Paper

Briton cleared of molest after paying $5,000 to compound case

2011-09-13T18:56:00.001+08:00

A Briton was acquitted on Tuesday of molesting a woman at Clarke Quay after the case was compounded.

Recruitment executive Austin Charles Arnold Cowburn, 35, had compounded the matter by paying $5,000 to the 30-year-old woman, who was in court with her husband.

Mr Cowburn, originally accused of grabbing her buttocks at China One Pub at Clarke Quay on April 3, apologised to the woman in open court.

He was on holiday here when the alleged offence took place. He said outside court that he was looking forward to going back to Britain, and to seeing his mother and father. Anyone convicted of outrage of modesty may be jailed for up to two years, fined, caned or received any combined punishment

- The Straits Times

Man exposes self in front of girlfriend's house

2011-09-12T16:47:00.001+08:00

A man caused a scene in front of his girlfriend's house after he claimed the woman's husband had assaulted him, Guang Ming Daily reported.

The man, in his 40s, started shouting in front of a three-storey bungalow on Friday night and ranted that he was having an affair with the woman.

When neighbours approached him, he told them that he had been having sex with the woman and that her husband was impotent.

The paper reported that the man even exposed his private part, which he claimed had been injured in an acid attack.

The man left after the woman, in her 30s, came out and threatened to call the police.

Jobless man jailed for entering female toilet, peeping at student

2011-09-09T17:57:00.000+08:00

An unemployed man was jailed for three weeks on Friday for trespassing into a female toilet and insulting modesty.

Foo Sai Teck, 38, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal trespass at the female toilet of CPA House at Aljunied Road and to peeping at a 17-year-old student through a gap between the door and the floor of a cubicle last month.

A Community Court heard that on Aug 3, he went to a female toilet on the fifth level of the building and stayed in the last cubicle.

Later, a 22-year-old student walked in and saw him kneeling with his head bent towards the floor and looking into a cubicle.

A week later, Foo repeated the offence by entering another women's toilet and peeping at a 17-year-old student.

Foo has convictions for criminal trespass, molestation and insulting modesty.

He could have been jailed for up to a year and/or fined for insulting modesty. For trespass, the maximum punishment is three months' jail and a $1,500 fine.

- The Straits Times

Girl finds semi-nude photos of herself online

2011-09-09T01:01:00.000+08:00

A girl recently found her own topless photos on the internet.

Not only that, she had found herself labelled as a "slut in Singapore".

Her ex-boyfriend, Mohamed Ansar (age 20), had allegedly posted the pictures online because he could not get over their break up.

At the time of the offence, Mohamed Ansar was a student at the Singapore Institute of Management. The victim is a student at another private school.

On 27 September last year, Mohamed Ansar told the girl through Facebook that he would be uploading the images onto the internet to "prove to the world what a slut she was".

The next morning, he uploaded a homemade videp clip consisting of semi-nude and sexy lingerie photos of the girl onto the Youtube website.

He later admitted that this was done with the intention of tarnishing her reputation.

It is understood that the photos were taken with the girl's consent during their relationship.

The girl (age 20) lodged a police report two hours after the video went online and Mohamed Ansar was taken into police custody at 8.30pm the same day.

The video has since been removed from Youtube.

Mohamed Ansar's laptop was also seized while he was in custody and police found 287 obscene films in a forensic examination.

He has been fined $2,000 for criminal intimidation and another $20,000 for the obscene films in his laptop.

First reported: Lianhe Wanbao

Odd-job worker accused of molesting woman at Istana

2011-09-06T15:28:00.000+08:00

An odd-job worker was charged in court on Tuesday with molesting a woman at the Istana grounds during last week's open house on Hari Raya Puasa.

Malaysian Woo Fok Meng alias Woo Tok Meng, 54, allegedly touched and squeezed the 39-year-old woman's buttock at about 4pm at Cavenagh Road last Tuesday.

He said he wanted to engage counsel and his case was adjourned for a week.

In the same court, gym instructor Mohamad Herman Kasmin, 31, made his second appearance in court for allegedly molesting a 31-year-old woman at Fitness First, a health and fitness group, at Millenia Walk on Oct 22 last year.

- The Straits Times

Fined for posting revealing pictures of ex-girlfriend on Youtube Fined for posting revealing pictures of ex-girlfriend on Youtube

2011-09-05T22:28:00.000+08:00

Two foreign students, both 20, met, fell in love and broke up.

However, Sri Lankan Mohamed Ansar Mohamed Azeem could not get over it and posted revealing pictures of his ex-girlfriend on Youtube and called her a slut.

Under the law, this is criminal intimidation and, on Monday, he was fined $2,000. He was fined another $20,000 for having 287 obscene films stored in his laptop.

The ex-student of the Singapore Institute of Management admitted to threatening to injure the reputation of his ex-girlfriend with his homemade video.

He had taken the photographs with her consent during their relationship.

After the break-up, he weaved these images into a video clip on his laptop and uploaded it on Youtube at 8am on Sept 28, 2010, with a title that included her name and the words 'slut in Singapore'.

- The Straits Times

Just a touch and you're in trouble: Expats prime targets in molest scams

2011-09-04T20:56:00.001+08:00

His hands on her waist, they swayed to the music at a crowded, dimly lit nightclub.

Maybe this Westerner was bumped. Or perhaps he was drunk or feeling cheeky when his hand slipped across her breast. Or did it? There is rising concern from some quarters that women are making false claims of molestation in order to extort money from foreign men.

At least two foreign missions here, the British High Commission and French Embassy, have issued grim warnings on their websites. The British website reads: 'Travellers are advised to avoid any action that could be interpreted as molestation. Scams involving false claims of molestation are thought to exist.'

The French website states: 'Behaviour towards women, especially in public, should never be ambiguous. There has been an increase in cases where the victim proposes to not file a complaint of molestation in exchange for immediate financial compensation.'

When asked by The Sunday Times, representatives of both missions denied knowledge of specific cases, but felt they had sufficient cause to post the warnings. 'We do what we have to do to assist our citizens,' said a French diplomat.

Even popular Australia-based travel websites such as World Nomads have warned of such scams.

Mr Chia, a partner at Chia Wong LLP, who has handled about a dozen of alleged molestation cases over the past three years, told The Sunday Times such offences are often the result of 'cultural misunderstandings'.

Western men 'tend to be more tactile and flirtatious', he noted. They are also 'totally unaware of the Singapore High Court ruling that any form of physical contact can amount to molestation so long as the woman complains', he added.

Typically, the men are accused of touching parts of the victim's body, usually the breasts and buttocks. And the penalties are stiff - they face up to two years in jail, caning, fines, or a combination of the above if convicted.

Faced with poor chances of persuading a judge of their innocence, the humiliation of a public trial, the stress on their families, and the very real danger they might lose their jobs, most men choose to avoid a trial at all costs, said Mr Chia.

Some offences, such as simple molestation, can be settled out of court if the offender pays compensation to the victim, usually between $5,000 and $10,000. But Mr Chia has heard of settlements upwards of $15,000.

The breadth of molestation laws, the prevalence of large financial settlements, and difficulty disproving allegations may lead some women to take advantage, he noted.

A Clarke Quay club security officer said he has seen four molestation cases so far this year. In two incidents, the police were called and a formal report made. In the other two, the matter was settled among the parties. One of these involved a Spanish man who paid 'a few thousand dollars' to an Indonesian woman who had accused him of inappropriately touching her.

'It always starts on the dance floor,' said the security officer, 'When there are 200 to 300 people in a small space, things happen. Ultimately, someone is lying and someone is telling the truth. We can't judge. We can only ask if they want to make a report.'

Mr Michael Ma, founder of the IndoChine Group, which runs four bars and restaurants here, said he knows of at least three cases involving foreign men, though none involved his establishments.

One case occurred six months ago when his friend, an Australian man, and his fiancee were in a McDonald's outlet in Orchard Road after a night of partying. A woman accused him of inappropriate contact. Although his friend protested his innocence, the police arrested him. However, McDonald's security footage proved he was not at fault and he was released the next day.

Another of Mr Ma's friends was less lucky. Drinks with friends at the Hyatt bar Brix turned ugly when a woman accused his friend of touching her. The man was jailed. His friend eventually settled out of court by paying about $10,000, he said.

The issue is not widely talked about, especially not by those who feel they have been duped. 'They're embarrassed... They pay to make it go away and don't want to talk about it,' Mr Chia said.

Still, cases of molestation in clubs and nightspots in Singapore fell from 108 in 2009 to 96 last year, despite an 11 per cent islandwide rise from 1,273 in 2009 to 1,414 last year, which mostly took place in common areas of HDB blocks and crowded areas like on public transport. About 707 cases were reported in the first half of this year, a 9 per cent increase from the same period last year.

The police were unable to give statistics on how many foreigners were involved in these cases.

- The Straits Times

NUS student filmed girl showering in toiletNUS student filmed girl showering in toilet

2011-09-02T15:20:00.000+08:00

HE TRESPASSED into a female toilet on two occasions and each time used his cellphone to video-record an undergraduate bathing.

Yesterday, Zheng Wenhan, 21, an architecture student from the National University of Singapore (NUS), was jailed for two weeks for intruding into the privacy of a woman last October.

He was also fined $1,000 for wilful trespass at a hostel for foreign students at NUS.

The fair-complexioned and medium-build Zheng admitted to the offences committed at the female toilet at Prince George’s Park Residence 3 on Oct 30 last year.

The court heard that he entered the female toilet at about 1.45pm that day to relieve himself and shower.

After entering the toilet, he proceeded to a shower cubicle and realised that somebody was bathing in an adjacent cubicle.

He took out his mobile phone to record, from the top of the cubicle, a 19-year-old undergraduate showering.

The court was not told when he was caught. The victim called the police to reportthe incident at about 4.05pm.

Zheng, who was not represented, submitted a handwritten mitigation plea to District Judge Christopher Goh, who had earlier told him to expect a jail sentence for intruding into the privacy of a woman.

Zheng, who had two other similar charges considered, also wrote to the victims to apologise and hoped they would forgive him.

He said he had been seeing a counsellor so that he would not make the same mistake again.

“In the last 10 months, I have behaved well in school and focused on my studies. I hope, Your Honour, you can give me a light sentence so that I can carry on studying in Singapore,” he stated.

He could have been jailed for up to one year, fined or jailed and fined for intruding on the privacy of a woman.

The maximum penalty for wilful trespass is a $1,000 fine.

- The Straits Times

Maid takes sexy photos on employer's bed

2011-09-02T00:02:00.001+08:00

After reading the recent horror story about a maid who put menstrual blood in her employers' soup, one employer did a spot check on her maid's Facebook page.

She was shocked when she saw a photo of her Filipino maid posing suggestively on the bed in the master bedroom.

The employer deduced that the photo was taken by another person, which meant that her maid was allowing strangers into the house while everyone was at work.

The concerned employer sent the photos to citizen journalism website Stomp to warn other employers to be vigilant about their maid's activities.

She added that she had only employed this maid for two months after she was transferred from another employer.

She has already sent the maid back to the employment agency.

She said: "I also have a kid in her care and it's unnerving to know these things are happening in my own house... Employers beware. She might be transferred to you next."

Earlier this year, there was a similar incident where a domestic helper wore her employer's clothes and posted the photos online.

- AsiaOne

Molester who assaulted victim's family members jailed, caned

2011-09-02T00:00:00.001+08:00

He molested a 17-year-old girl in a lift outside her home and later assaulted her family members who came to her rescue when they heard her screams. For this, Hamzah Hambali will now spend 39 months behind bars and receive six strokes of the cane.

The 26-year-old waiter had entered a lift of an apartment block with the teenager who was on her way home at around 11.00pm on January 23.

The court heard that he grabbed her just as she was about to get out of the lift when it reached her floor. After pinning her down to the floor, Hamzah molested the girl, who screamed loudly.

When they heard her cries, the girl's mother and 16-year-old sister, who were at home, rushed towards the lift and found the teenager on the ground. The 42-year-old mother pulled her daughter up and the teenager retreated to a corner of the lift landing, crying.

The mother confronted Hamzah who was still in the lift, and demanded to know what he had done to her daughter. Instead of answering her, he rushed out of the lift and slapped her twice on the face. He then punched the woman's other daughter, who was standing behind her mother, on the jaw, before he fled the scene.

Hamzah has been in and out of court since 1999. In 2004, he was jailed for three months and given three strokes of the cane for vandalism.

Two years later, he was convicted of offences including housebreaking and was sentenced to five years' jail.

- Channel News Asia

Young sex offenders undergo sexuality treatment instead of jail as part of rehabilitation

2011-08-31T21:56:00.001+08:00

Instead of being jailed, many young sex offenders have been ordered to undergo a sexuality treatment programme run by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

Over the past 11 years, 153 youths aged between 13 and 18 have taken part in the Positive Adolescent Sexuality Treatment (Past) programme as part of their rehabilitation.

It is for those who have committed sexual offences or have a history of sexually abusive behaviour and who are not intellectually disabled, said MCYS.

Last week, a 16-year-old boy was ordered by the court to take part in the Past programme after he molested six girls and women aged between 11 and 41 over two months at HDB void decks and lift lobbies in Tampines. He was also placed on three years' probation and ordered to perform 60 hours of community service.

A psychiatric report diagnosed him with paedophilia, which refers to a primary or exclusive sexual interest in children aged 13 or younger.

Social workers who work with young people say such programmes are designed to get to the root of the problem.

Mr Mani Joseph, assistant director of the Asian Women's Welfare Association Family Service Centre, said past records show that sexual offenders are likely to repeat the crime once they leave the controlled environment of a prison.

He said that, unlike other criminals who commit crimes driven by malicious intent, people with sexual issues have a disorder they cannot control.

'That's why we must use holistic treatments that are more realistic, like replaying the situation in which he committed the act, making him reflect and be more aware of what he did,' said Mr Mani, who has counselled young people for over 25 years. 'Then we explore alternatives, so that the next time he feels the urge to do something, he has options.'

He added that such programmes are usually ordered in conjunction with a punishment, like probation.

'A deterrent message must be sent to others, and also to tell the offender that he cannot just do as he wishes just because he has the disorder,' he said.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the ministry said 10 participants are on the programme, which includes teaching young sex offenders how to control their unhealthy sexual fantasies and understand what they have done wrong, among other things.

An MCYS spokesman said: 'Participants process their offending behaviour, examine relationships and sexuality issues, learn social and life skills and develop a relapse prevention plan.'

Run by the ministry's in-house clinical or forensic psychologists, the Past scheme includes therapeutic games and activities, interactive group discussions and role-play.

The youths attend the group sessions once a week or once every fortnight over six months. Their families are also involved in the programme.

'The aim is to assist in improving relationships and communication between the youths and their family members, as well as equip caregivers with parenting and supervision skills to support the youth's rehabilitation,' MCYS said.

Experts say group therapy is appropriate for young offenders because they are at an age where they are very much influenced by their peers.

Dr Carol Balhetchet, the director of youth services at the Singapore Children's Society, said: 'Peer group interaction uses the group to influence the individual, and vice versa. This builds self- confidence when the individual speaks up, and allows them to gain acceptance... and help each other out of it.'

Counsellors and social workers interviewed say sexuality problems among young people are not uncommon, being part and parcel of growing up.

Consultant psychiatrist Brian Yeo said such sexuality issues can include sexual interests, urges, dating problems and rejection. And those who have experienced or witnessed abuse in their childhood may be more prone to them, experts say.

'These could be those who live in households where sexual boundaries are crossed, or those who come from sexist environments where there is less respect for women and individual privacy,' Dr Yeo added.

- The Straits Times