A male student in Singapore uploaded some obscene photos of his female teacher on microblogging site Tumblr out of anger as he felt that she was not giving him enough attention as she used to. The screenshots and other photos, which clearly showed her face and workplace, ended up circulating on pornographic websites.
The student, who was in Sec 1 at that time, pleaded guilty on Friday, to a single charge of distributing and transmitting obscene material. Two other similar charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing on February 8 next year.
Criminal Mindset
According to Singapore's legal system, the teen cannot be named or identified because he committed the crimes when he was only 15 years old. The Children and Young Persons Act bans the publication of the identities of such young offenders. Even his school cannot be named.
The student, who committed the crime in 2019, recorded upskirt videos of at least two teachers in his school after the women came to his desk when he asked for their help with assignments. He then uploaded their photos on Tumblr which then went on to get circulated on other pornographic websites.
Besides, the teen also recorded a video of his sister's friend while she was taking a shower in his Sengkang flat.
In May 2019, the court first heard that the boy took those photos and then editedthem, creating several variationsbefore uploading the images on Tumblr. He posted the screenshots alongside other photos that clearly showed the teacher's face, other family members and place of work, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Cheng You Duen told the court.
After uploading the photos, the student captioned the post: "Upskirt pictures. Can all of you guys reblog, like and share this ... thanks ... enjoy the pictures."
Strange Obsession
On Friday, the student pleaded guilty to the charge of of distributing and transmitting obscene material in the case of one teacher. Two other charges are pending.
The student said that he uploaded the images out of anger as he felt the teacher did not show him as much care when he was in secondary three, compared with when he was in secondary one.
The student was arrested in May 2019 days after the teacher found her upskirt photos online. She then lodged a police complaint.
The prosecutor noted that the teen had acted out of malice, and that the images were widely circulated as the victim found them on other porn websites.
On Friday, the teen's lawyer said that he was extremely remorseful and has been cooperating with police. When asked by the judge if he had anything to say, the boy said: "I regret my actions ... I've really been through a lot since that time, been suspended, caned, everything."
The penalties for transmitting an obscene object by electronic means are a jail term of up to three months, a fine, or both.
