Two 17-year-old Singaporean boys appeared in court on Wednesday (18 Jun 2025), facing charges related to deceiving and extorting their former schoolmate.
One teenager allegedly tricked the victim into performing seven degrading acts by pretending to be a woman on Instagram.
The teenagers and their alleged victim cannot be named due to a court-imposed gag order. The victim’s age was not disclosed in court documents.
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Teen Faces Four Charges for Instagram Deception and Humiliating Acts
The first accused received four charges: distributing intimate recordings, cheating, cheating and inducing dishonest delivery of property, and extortion. He conspired with his co-accused on the latter two charges.
Between February and December 2023, this teenager allegedly deceived his former schoolmate into believing he was conversing with a woman over Instagram.
The accused then induced the victim to perform seven degrading acts and send him gift cards worth S$390 (US$300).
The acts the victim was tricked into performing included soaking his genitals in a bowl of chilli oil for two minutes and rubbing salt onto his genitals. The victim was also allegedly made to consume his own urine and perform a sexual act in front of a camera.
Additional acts included playing football naked, cutting and burning his hair with a lighter, and eating butter, cheese and chilli padi.
Between February and June 2023, the accused allegedly distributed the victim’s intimate recordings, knowing it would cause humiliation.
Extortion Scheme Involving Gang Leader Story
In July 2023, both teenagers allegedly conspired to extort S$2,450 (US$1,884) from the victim. They threatened to distribute videos of him performing sexual acts.
Around May 2024, the pair allegedly cheated the victim into believing a gang leader was demanding money from him. The victim handed over S$300 (US$231) as a result.
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The co-accused faces two charges for conspiring in both the extortion and cheating offences.
The first teenager pleaded not guilty when charges were read. His case was adjourned to 16 Jul 2025 for his lawyer to make representations.
The co-accused indicated his intention to plead guilty and is expected to do so on 30 Jul 2025.
Both teenagers were offered bail on the condition that they continue to attend school, reside with their parents, and submit to electronic tagging.
Extortion carries a jail term of two to seven years with caning. Cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property carry a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.
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Cheating alone carries a jail term of up to three years, or a fine, or both. Distributing or threatening to distribute intimate images or recordings carries a jail term of up to five years, or a fine, or caning, or any combination of the penalties.