Married man got sexual services from underaged girl after posing as female to approach her

SINGAPORE: A man admitted on Monday (Dec 22) to obtaining sexual services from a 14-year-old girl whom he first approached online by posing as female.

Chew Koh Leong, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of obtaining sexual services from a minor and one count of trying to procure an indecent act by a child.

Four other charges will be considered when he returns to court for sentencing in March next year.

The victim’s identity is protected by a gag order.

Chew was married and working as a workplace safety and hygiene manager at the time of the offences.

The court heard that around 2018 to 2019, Chew came across a girl’s Facebook account and downloaded her photos.

He used the girl’s photos and name to make a fake Facebook account for himself, without her permission.

“He did so as he wanted to use the fake account to make friends with other girls. He felt that it would be easier for him to make friends with girls, if he pretended to be a female,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Delicia Tan.

In 2022, Chew created a fake Carousell account using the same name and photos because he wanted to use it to date girls secretly without his wife finding out.

“He felt that it would be easier to hide this from his wife since it was a Carousell account, where people bought and sold things,” said Ms Tan.

Around March 2022, Chew came across the Carousell account of the victim, who was selling a dress for S$18 (US$14).

Using his fake account to pose as a female, Chew told the victim he would buy the dress but that his brother would collect it on his behalf.

He got the victim’s mobile number to coordinate the collection of the dress.

Chew then sent a text message to the victim introducing himself as the buyer’s brother.

He chatted with the victim and asked her personal questions about her family and background, which she answered. He learnt that she was in Secondary 2 and had not turned 14 yet.

Chew then offered to pay the victim for sexual services, and she agreed to some of his requests as she needed money.

Around Aug 2, 2022, he asked the victim to perform a sexual act on him or alternatively, offered her S$400 to let him kiss her. She refused.

In October 2022, Chew asked the victim to meet up and she agreed. He touched her over her clothes in his car, which was parked in a car park, and paid her S$150.

He repeated this in May 2023 in a stairwell at a car park, again paying the victim S$150.

The police received information about Chew engaging in commercial sex with a minor on Nov 15, 2023. He was arrested the next month.

Chew could be jailed for up to seven years, fined or given both penalties for obtaining sexual services from a minor under 18.

For attempting to procure an indecent act by a child below 16, he could be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$10,000 or both.