De Beers Wong Tian Jun posed as an agent for wealthy "sugar daddies" and tricked eleven women into conducting sex acts with him. (Photo: Facebook/DeBeersWongTianJun)

 

SINGAPORE: A man who posed as an agent for wealthy "sugar daddies" and tricked 11 women into carrying out sex acts with him had his jail term more than doubled after an appeal for a shorter sentence was dismissed.

 

According to CNA, De Beers Wong Tian Jun's jail term was enhanced to eight years and five months on Wednesday (Dec 1), from his original sentence of three-and-a-half years. The previous fine of S$20,000 was unchanged.

 

"Not only did the appellant act with clear premeditation and subterfuge, but his behaviour was also simply cruel," said Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon. 

 

“He showed no remorse or doubt whatsoever when going about his spree of offending behaviour.”

 

Wong pleaded guilty in March to 10 charges, including cheating, criminal intimidation, and possession of obscene photos for circulation. 

 

Wong devised a scheme in 2015 to advertise for "sugar babes" on behalf of wealthy "sugar daddies", as he wanted to have paid sex but was unwilling to pay the prices he had seen online for such services, according to court documents. 

 

He put up ads posing as a freelance agent who connected such escorts to well-to-do clients, promising payments of between S$8,000 and S$20,000 a month.

 

Between April 2015 and January 2016, at least eleven women aged between 18 and 24 fell for the scheme. 

 

Wong would first solicit nude photos from the women "for vetting" and ask them to engage in sexual acts with him so he could evaluate them before recommending them to his “clients.” 

 

He would then threaten to disseminate the nude photos of the victims if they did not continue to have sex with him. 

 

Psychiatric report

 

In his judgment released on Wednesday, Chief Justice Menon addressed a psychiatric report Wong and his lawyers had used to support their arguments for a shorter sentence. 

 

The psychiatrist’s report “was of no assistance,” as it was based “entirely on the truthfulness of the information” provided by Wong, Chief Justice Menon said. 

 

“This was problematic because, as it turned out, (Wong’s) account … was riven with falsehoods.” 

 

He also took issue with the timing of the report, noting that Wong consulted the psychiatrist more than four years after his crimes. 

 

“There was no reasoning in the report explaining how (the doctor) was able to extrapolate his conclusions based on consultations in October and November 2020 to what (Wong) was suffering some five years prior,” Chief Justice Menon said. 

 

Chief Justice Menon said that Wong's behaviour “demonstrated a cynical, exploitative, and simply cruel edge over an extended period of time and in relation to multiple victims.”

 

He noted that Wong had duped his victims and “ensnared (them) in a vicious trap by his compromising them, while he secured sexually explicit photos and videos and sexual acts under false pretenses for his own gratification.” 

 

In response to Wong’s argument that not enough weight was placed on his clean record, Chief Justice Menon noted that Wong had committed at least thirty-six separate offences against the victims during around a year. 

 

“Any mitigating weight which might have been placed on his clean record was, when seen in that context, non-existent."

 

“The appellant was simply ‘fortunate,’ in a manner of speaking, to not have been caught earlier,” Chief Justice Menon said.

 

Is prostitution not illegal in SG? What fines did the women pay?

Putting this guy in prison is stupid. Except for the blackmail part, I'll give him an A for originality.