Telegram channel with 8,700 members allegedly shares videos of people having sex in HDB public areas
It could be in violation of at least two criminal laws.
Daniel Seow
A private Telegram channel with close to 9,000 members has been exposed for circulating lewd photos and videos among its members.
Some of these depicted people having sex in public and in HDB blocks across Singapore. These were accompanied with a message, "Guess which HDB block this is at?"
Shin Min Daily News (Shin Min) reported that the channel's administrator uploaded such obscene photos and videos on a regular basis, and most of these involved young women.
As of Oct. 22, the channel in question reportedly had more than 8,700 members.
Recordings of lewd acts were circulated
At least 10 of the explicit videos contained a description that the lewd acts were being carried at a HDB estate, Shin Min reported.Most of them were contributed by members, according to a message from the administrator.
Other videos involved women in school uniform, but it is unclear if they were underage.
One particular video involved a male staff and female intern having sex in the office.
The administrator noted in a message that the pair did not know they were being filmed.
Shin Min observed that the administrator would also ask members to provide feedback on the kind of video content they would like to see.
The administrator reportedly added that they did not want the inappropriate content to be shared with the wrong people.
Distributing obscene photos, videos is a criminal offence
A lawyer interviewed by Shin Min explained that distributing obscene photos and videos is in violation of two criminal laws.Someone who deliberately distributes voyeuristic recordings of another person without their consent might be charged under Section 377BC of the Penal Code.
Those who knowingly distribute intimate photos or videos of another person without consent could face charges under Section 377BE of the Penal Code.
Those found guilty of either of the charges may be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned, or face any combination of the punishments.
Mothership has reached out to the police for comment.
Not the first time
The authorities previously clamped down on similar Telegram group chats that circulated pornographic content, such as the infamous "SG Nasi Lemak" Telegram group.Police arrested four men involved with the group in October 2019, after several women reported finding their pictures on the platform.
One of them, Leonard Teo Min Xuan, 37, who was a group administrator, was sentenced to a one-year mandatory treatment order in 2021 after he was diagnosed with major depressive disorder, reported The Straits Times.
Another administrator, Liong Tianwei, 39, was sentenced to nine weeks' jail and fined S$26,000.
Two other members - Justin Lee Han Shi, 20, and an 18-year-old youth - were placed on probation.
In February, the police also began investigations against a similar obscene Telegram chat, SG WikiLeaks.
