Police Investigating Man Who Pretended to be a PA Staff to Write Message on Woman’s Foot

Last Updated on 2023-05-05 , 10:53 am

While it’s no secret that people nowadays have all sorts of… odd likings and hobbies, it also goes without saying that most people keep their weird fetishes or obsessions to themselves most of the time.

Well, not for this man who tried to act like he was a staff member from the People’s Association (PA) to try and get photos of a 24-year-old woman’s feet while at the Singapore Botanic Gardens.

He even tried multiple times to initiate a friendship with the woman after taking the photos but was rejected by her.

Police investigations are currently ongoing.

Woman Was At Botanic Gardens for Picnic

When talking about her experience, the woman explained that she had gone to the Botanic Gardens for a picnic by herself on 17 April this year.

She added that she often visits places like gardens to read and journal.

The woman, who declined to be named, had reached the Gardens at about 1 pm and was seated in a part of the Gardens where there were other people in her vicinity.

Man Said it Was For Youth Corps Event Poster

At around 3.30 pm, a man allegedly approached her and started their conversation by showing her an Instagram photo of “notes of encouragement” written on a foot with a marker.

He then asked her if she would be willing to participate in a similar photoshoot, where she would write her own encouraging message on her foot and be photographed by him.

He even told her that he was from the PA and that the photos would be used as a poster for an upcoming event with Youth Corps Singapore, which is part of the National Youth Council and primarily offers youths volunteer opportunities.

Ah, yes, because teenagers “definitely” came up with the idea of taking feet pictures as volunteer work.

Woman Eventually Agreed, But Got Increasingly Uncomfortable

After the man pitched the photoshoot idea, the woman was initially skeptical about participating.

Despite her initial reaction, the man quipped in by saying that he could let her take a photo of him instead if she was “uncomfortable”.

Ultimately, the woman participated in the activity and wrote on her foot despite her skepticism.

However, she realised that something was amiss after seeing that the man was actually recording a video of her with his phone.

He also touched her foot to “adjust” it and claimed that it was for the photo to look better.

This prompted her to try and leave the situation as fast as possible, and she also recounted how she was scared of what else the man might do.

After she rubbed the ink off her feet when the “photoshoot” was over, the man tried to initiate a friendship by asking her repeatedly if they could be friends.

The woman had to reject him multiple times before leaving the scene.

Woman Made a Police Report After the Incident

After she left the scene, the woman’s brother suggested that she tell the police about what happened, which she did so.

She also mentioned that she would be more cautious of people, especially men, around her when having solo picnics in the future.

When speaking about the matter, a police spokesperson confirmed that they received a call for help around 17 April at 1 Cluny Road, which matches the address of the Botanic Gardens.

The call was made at 4.20 pm that day, which aligned with the timeline of events.

Apart from that, the spokesperson revealed that a 35-year-old man is currently assisting with police investigations.

PA’s Response: No Feet Programmes

As for the PA, a spokesperson clarified that there are no feet programmes conducted by PA and Youth Corps Singapore.

Which should come as a relief to everyone unless you’re a feet-ophile. 

When faced with situations where people claim to be PA personnel, the spokesperson shared that members of the public can either ask to see an official staff pass or check in with the nearest community clubs (CCs).

The staff pass will include the staff member’s name and photograph, while staff members at CCs can help confirm whether a person is actually a PA staff or not.

Similar Events in the Past

And it seems like this isn’t the first time that incidents surrounding feet have happened in Singapore.

In April last year, Tan Boon Hwee was sentenced to two weeks and five days in prison after being found guilty of two molestation charges.

He had molested a teenager in March 2019 by touching her feet in an uncomfortable manner.

Just two months before his jail sentence, he was fined $8,000 for other similar offences when he did the same thing to a woman in July 2017.

For his first victim, he told her that he was part of a “Barefoot Walking Society” and took photos of her feet while touching them inappropriately.

When communicating with the teenager, his second victim, he (also) claimed to be from the PA and told her that he was trying to gather photos of quotes written on the soles of people’s feet to form a collage.

Similar to the incident at Botanic Gardens, he had pitched the idea to the teenager by telling her that it was meant for “inspirational” purposes.

He then touched her soles and toes, which made the victim feel extremely uneasy.

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Outside of the PA, a 25-year-old was sentenced to eight months in jail in January 2022 after he choked a woman just to smell her feet.

He met the woman through an online dating service and choked her after meeting her to render her unconscious.

As a result, the victim was left with bruising, physical pain and emotional trauma in the form of panic attacks and anxiety after the incident.