Two Singaporean teens charged for allegedly deceiving ex-schoolmate into performing degrading acts

SINGAPORE: Two 17-year-old boys were charged in court on Wednesday (18 June) for a series of alleged offences against their former schoolmate, including extortion and forcing him to perform degrading acts. One of the teenagers is accused of deceiving the male victim into soaking his genitals in chilli oil and consuming his own urine. Both accused also allegedly extorted money from the victim by threatening to distribute compromising videos of him. Due to a gag order imposed by the court, the identities of the accused and the victim are protected. The victim’s age was not disclosed in court documents. The two youths, both Singaporeans, were handed four and two charges respectively. The teenager facing more charges is accused of deceiving the alleged victim into performing humiliating acts. His charges comprise distributing intimate recordings, cheating, cheating and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property, and extortion. The second teenager faces two charges for conspiring in the extortion and cheating offences involving the fabricated story about a gang leader.

More Than a Year of Abuse

The alleged offences by the first teenager were carried out over a period of more than a year. Between February and December 2023, he is said to have deceived his former schoolmate into believing that he was conversing with a woman over Instagram. During that time, the accused allegedly coerced the victim into performing seven degrading acts. These included soaking his genitals in a bowl of chilli oil for two minutes, rubbing salt onto his private parts, and consuming his own urine. The victim was also allegedly coerced into performing a sexual act on camera, playing football while naked, and cutting and burning his own hair with a lighter. On another occasion, he was made to eat a mixture of butter, cheese, and chilli padi. In addition to enduring these acts, the victim was also allegedly coerced into sending gift cards and S$390 to the accused. Between February and June 2023, the accused is said to have distributed the victim’s intimate recordings, knowing it would cause humiliation. In July 2023, the first accused allegedly conspired with the second teenager to extort S$2,450 from the victim by threatening to release videos of him performing a sexual act. Around May last year, the two also allegedly tricked the victim into believing that a gang leader was demanding money from him, leading the victim to hand over S$300.

Court Proceedings and Possible Sentences

After being charged, the teenager facing more charges indicated to the court that he intends to plead not guilty. His case has been adjourned to 16 July for his lawyer to make representations. He was granted bail under strict conditions, including electronic tagging, continued attendance at school, and residing with his parents. In contrast, the other teenager has indicated his intention to plead guilty and is expected to do so on 30 July. He was also granted bail with similar conditions. For the offence of extortion, the teenagers face between two and seven years’ imprisonment along with caning. Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property carries a penalty of up to 10 years’ imprisonment and a fine. Distributing or threatening to distribute intimate images carries a sentence of up to five years’ imprisonment, a fine, caning, or any combination of these penalties.