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A former scientist from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) sent messages to two foreign mobile phone numbers attempting to arrange for commercial sex with children as young as 12 years old.
American national Jason Scott Herrin, now 49, was caught in 2020 with 90 photographs of child abuse on his mobile phone, as well as 31 obscene films. He has since been fired by the university. Herrin pleaded guilty to two charges — communicating with another person for the purpose of obtaining commercial sex with a minor under 18, and possessing child abuse material — on Mar. 18, 2024, reporters reported. Two other charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. The messages The court heard that on Nov. 14, 2019, Herrin WhatsApped an Indonesian mobile phone number, according to reporters. He told the other party to offer 12-year-old girls money in exchange for providing him sexual services. Over the course of their conversation, he offered four million rupiah (S$340) for sex, and two million rupiah (S$170) for a sex act. On Feb. 18, 2020, Herrin sent a message to another foreign number asking that person to find a "kid" for him "for a high price", with the intention of procuring sexual services from the child. Child abuse material found on his phone The prosecution said that Herrin’s mobile phone was seized by police on Aug. 17, 2020, at his residence, reporters reported. This was after a police report was made regarding an unrelated matter that was not specified in court. Forensic examination of Herrin's phone unearthed a collection of obscene material. This included 90 photographs of child abuse, with naked girls featured in compromising positions. The prosecution said that Herrin had downloaded these photographs from a number of websites and had been downloading such obscene material since 2019. In addition, there were 31 obscene films found on his phone. Herrin was charged in court on Jan. 25, 2022 for his offences. Has since been fired by NTU Herrin was previously listed as a staff scientist at NTU and a senior research scientist on the Earth Observatory of Singapore website. On the latter, he was described as a "igneous petrologist and chemical microanalyst involved in volcano research and the study of meteorites and asteroid impacts on Earth". Both of those listings have since been taken down. In response to reporters enquiries, an NTU spokesperson said that the university has since fired Herrin. "The university has zero tolerance for sexual misconduct. When his offences came to light, he was terminated by the university on Apr. 7, 2022," the spokesperson added. Herrin's case is next scheduled for a hearing on May 17, reporters reported. For communicating with another person to obtain sexual services of a minor, he can be jailed for up to two years per charge, fined, or both. For possessing child abuse material, he can be jailed up to five years, and fined or caned. A 22-year-old woman was ordered to undergo one year and nine months of probation after she failed to alert the police that her friend was raped, reporters reported.
According to the reporters, the woman had reason to believe that her friend was raped by a man but failed to provide information about the rape to the police immediately. The woman pleaded guilty to seven charges, including one of intentionally omitting information regarding an offence, two cheating charges, one charge of abetting cheating and three charges of abetting unauthorised access to a bank account. Reporters said that as part of the sentence, she must remain indoors from 11pm to 6am daily and perform 100 hours of community service. Was told to lie to the victim On Nov. 28, 2021, the woman and seven others gathered in a room at Hotel Royal on Newton Road. This included the victim, a teenager known as B1 and a 20-year-old man, B2. The names of all parties linked to the case had been redacted from court documents, ST reported. At around midnight, the hotel concierge called the room to inform them that they were in breach of Covid-19 regulations, which allowed up to five people to gather in a group at a time. Two people then left while six remained. During the early hours of Nov. 29, the victim felt tipsy and fell asleep after downing one more shot of liquor. Reporters said that B2 was lying next to the victim and began hugging her. Between 3 am and 6 am, B1 carried the victim to the bathroom, where B2 raped her. Court documents did not state what the other people were doing then. After he raped her, B2 carried the victim out of the bathroom and placed her on the bed before falling asleep. When he woke up, he told B1 and the woman that he had sex with the victim. Reporters stated that the three agreed to lie to the victim by claiming that the victim had woken up before following the man to the bathroom. When the victim woke up later in the morning, she suspected that she had been raped when she felt pain while using the toilet. She later asked the woman what had happened, and the woman claimed she did not know. The victim lodged a police report on Dec. 1, 2021. On Feb. 1, 2024, the woman admitted in court that she failed to inform the police about the rape immediately. Reporters stated that the prosecution said the woman was legally bound to give information to the police about the rape. SINGAPORE - A 26-year-old woman suspected of loan shark harassment in Jurong West was arrested on March 18, and will be charged in court on March 20.
The police said in a statement on March 19 that they were alerted to a case of loan shark harassment at a residential unit in Jurong West Street 52 on March 18, when red paint was splashed onto the unit. She was arrested on the same day, after officers from Jurong Police Division established her identity through ground enquiries and police cameras. The suspect is believed to be involved in more cases of loan shark harassment at four other units. In a statement, the police said: “The Police have zero tolerance for loanshark harassment activities. Those who deliberately vandalise properties, cause annoyance and disruptions to public safety, peace and security, will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.” Those found guilty of loan shark harassment can be fined between $5,000 and $50,000, jailed for up to five years, and caned up to six strokes. Members of the public who suspect or know of anyone involved in loan-sharking activities can call the police on 999 or the X-Ah Long hotline on 1800-924-5664. SINGAPORE – At least 52 people fell prey to scammers impersonating officials from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) in 2023, with losses amounting to around $2.3 million.
Iras said on March 19 that it has also seen an increase in scam attempts on taxpayers during the current tax filing season, which runs between March 1 and Apr 18. Based on reports made to Iras by the public in 2023, 79 per cent of scams involved victims being offered tax refunds, and 15 per cent were of victims being asked to pay capital gain tax or income tax on investment-related profits. Five per cent of reports were related to phishing e-mails, while the other one per cent includes variants such as fake stamp certificates and forged tax documents. In February, reporters reported that the number of scam cases in Singapore hit a record high in 2023, since the police began tracking cases in 2016. For tax refund scams, victims would receive e-mails from scammers claiming that the victims had been overcharged earlier on income tax or goods and services tax and offering refunds to them. The victims would be directed to a fake website that resembles the Iras portal, and prompted to provide their payment details and one-time passwords. Since the start of 2024, at least six people have fallen prey to this scam variant, with losses totalling at least $3,000. Iras said that tax refunds are not credited to debit or credit cards. Instead, they are automatically credited to taxpayers via PayNow or their bank account registered with Iras. Information on tax refunds is also not sent via e-mail, said the tax agency, adding that information can be retrieved from the myTax Portal. Scammers have also contacted victims via e-mail or messaging platforms to trick them into paying capital gain tax or income tax on their investment profit or dividends. These scammers usually claim to be linked to cryptocurrency investment companies, financial institutions, or Iras. “Be aware that there is no capital gain tax on profits earned from the sale of investments and shares in Singapore,” said Iras. Profits from other financial instruments such as digital tokens are also generally not taxable, as they are considered personal investments, it added. Members of the public are advised to do their own checks on unfamiliar financial institutions by using resources such as the Financial Register of Representatives and Investor Alert List that can be found on the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s website. “Scammers continue to evolve their tactics and become more sophisticated with new technology, products and services,” said Iras. “Tackling scams is a community effort and individuals, businesses, and organisations should be informed on the modus operandi of common scam types, and be vigilant to protect yourself and each other.” Iras also advised taxpayers to use the myTaxPortal to view and manage their tax transactions, and correspond with the agency through myTax Mail on any queries. It added that confidential documents such as tax return forms, notices of assessment and refund letters will never be sent via e-mail, and will only be available on the myTaxPortal. SINGAPORE – A Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) lieutenant-colonel who molested a female student in a Nanyang Technological University (NTU) dormitory in 2022 was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on March 19.
Neo Aik Chiao, 47, who had flown helicopters, including a Chinook, pleaded guilty on Jan 10 to one count each of molestation and criminal trespass. A second criminal trespass charge was taken into consideration during his sentencing. Neo had entered the 21-year-old victim’s room, located on a floor reserved for female students. There is a gag order on the victim’s name and the specific location of the incident to protect her identity. In an earlier statement, the Ministry of Defence said Neo has been suspended from all duties. The ministry also said it would carefully assess the eventual findings before deciding on further action. In earlier proceedings, defence lawyers Sunil Sudheesan and Joyce Khoo from Quahe Woo & Palmer said Neo went to NTU, his alma mater, to seek emotional comfort, as the institution represented “a place of fond memories and familiarity”. They said Neo had been in a low mood since his godfather, whom he was very close to, died in June 2022. The lawyers added that before committing the offences, Neo had consumed beer and planned to visit his godfather’s home to seek solace, but ended up at NTU instead. Deputy Public Prosecutor Wong Shiau Yin told the court that the victim was lying on a bed in her dormitory at about 2am on Nov 13, 2022, when she heard a knock on the door. Neo opened it before she could react. He spoke to her briefly before entering the room without her permission. Neo then closed the door and locked it. He sat on the bed and told her that he was tired as he had just climbed many flights of stairs. DPP Wong said the victim was puzzled but did not react, as Neo looked tired and was sweating profusely. He asked the student for a drink, and she directed him to a water cooler on another level. Instead of leaving, Neo remained seated on her bed and asked for directions to Halls 10 and 14, saying he was looking for a friend who was residing in one of the blocks. After the student told him where they were, Neo asked for directions to other halls. He then asked her if she wanted to earn some extra income and “accompany” him for $1,000. “The victim felt uncomfortable as the accused was making a sexual proposition,” said DPP Wong. The student rejected Neo, saying she did not need the money, and told him to leave. Neo went on to touch her left thigh. After the student repeated her request for him to leave her room, Neo stood up from the bed, walked towards her and touched her left arm. He placed his hands on her shoulders and said in Mandarin: “Is $1,000 okay? Can you accompany me?” Scared, the victim pushed Neo away and shouted for him to leave the room. He eventually walked to the door and told the student it was locked and that he could not open it. The student then took out her phone to call her friend. When Neo saw this, he unlocked the door and left the room. The student called campus security and made a police report. A report from the Institute of Mental Health stated that Neo was intoxicated at the time of the offence, and that there may be a partial contributory link between his intoxication and loss of restraint. The report added that he was of sound mind at the time of the offence. On March 19, the court ordered for Neo’s sentence to be backdated to the arrest and to take into account the 16 days he had spent in remand. His lawyers told reporters that he is expected to be released in about a week’s time. Three male motorists were disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes of driving licences for a year after they were convicted of providing illegal car or motorcycle pooling services.
The trio were also handed fines of S$1,800 each. The three men were booked during enforcement operations carried out by the Land Transport Authority (LTA) on May 3, 2023. Their vehicles were impounded at the time for investigations. First person to be convicted for providing illegal motorcycle-pooling services One of the men, 33-year-old Muhammad Husabullah Rosly, was the first person to be convicted of conveying passengers for hire and reward using a motorcycle. Court documents revealed that Husabullah was around a drop-off point of Block 505D Yishun Street 51 with his motorcycle when he was noticed by an LTA enforcement officer. Even though Hasbullah did not know the passenger who he was about to pick up, he told the enforcement officer that the passenger was a friend. Follow-up investigations also found that Hasbullah's passenger had initially planned to head to ITE College West that day and agreed to pay him S$18 for the trip. Previously, LTA had released a statement that motorcycles were not allowed to be used to convey passengers for hire and reward regardless of booking platforms, citing "safety risks" involved. Other two men provided illegal car-pooling services The other two men, 21-year-old Muhammad Nasrulhaq Shamsulnizam and 36-year-old De Cruz Wayne Randall, were both convicted of providing illegal carpooling services. Nasrulhaq was found to have collected S$24 after ferrying a passenger from Rivervale Drive to Thomson Plaza by car on May 3. Similarly, Randall was also found to have transported a passenger by car from Compassvale Road to Kallang Leisure Park on the same date, even though he did not have a valid vocational licence and his vehicle did not carry a valid public service vehicle licence at the time. Additionally, Randall was handed a charge of using a vehicle without insurance coverage under the Motor Vehicles (Third-Party Risks and Compensation) Act, as his vehicle's insurance policy did not cover third-party passengers at the time. For each count of providing illegal carpooling services without a vocational licence, or using an unlicensed vehicle, the duo could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$3,000, or both. What kind of car-pooling is allowed? In an earlier statement given to reporters, an LTA spokesperson said that only car-pooling arrangements facilitated through licensed business platforms, such as GrabHitch, and other license-exempt business platforms are currently permitted. There are no restrictions on social car-pooling amongst friends and colleagues. However, car-pooling matched through informal non-business mediums, such as via Telegram groups, continues to be disallowed. There have been multiple reported cases of harassment and injury during such rides. LTA will continue to "monitor and take enforcement action" against those providing illegal car-pooling, as well as car-pooling matching, services, added the spokesperson. An SMRT bus was found to have collided with a lamp post in front of Block 403 Bedok North Ave 3 on the afternoon of Mar. 17, 2024.
The scene was captured by an onlooker who subsequently shared it on the Facebook page, "Professional PHV Drivers Singapore: Grab, Gojek, Tada n Ryde". According to the photo, the lamp post could be seen dangling diagonally to the road as a result of the collision. The bus captain can be seen sitting on the parapet of the pedestrian walkway next to the parked bus. At least two police officers were also present at the scene conducting investigations. SMRT investigating the incident In response to reporters queries, Deputy Managing Director of SMRT Buses, Vincent Gay, confirmed that the incident had taken place on Sunday at around 1:30pm. Gay said that bus service 67 was turning into the bus stop at the aforementioned HDB block when it "collided into a lamp post". There were "no reported injuries" amongst the commuters onboard the bus. "The safety of our commuters is our top priority. Our bus captain facilitated the safe transfer of all 10 commuters onto another bus to continue their journeys," added Gay. SMRT is currently investigating the incident, the statement read. The Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF) on Sunday (Mar. 17) presented a S$6.1 million cheque, raised by the Singapore public in donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Cheque presentation The cheque was presented at a ceremony in Amman, Jordan, by RLAF CEO Muhammad Faizal Othman to Ben Majekodunmi, the Chief of Staff of UNRWA. Muhammad Faizal shared that this is the highest amount that RLAF has ever raised for a humanitarian effort in the charity's history: "This incredible sum...represents the collective heart of Singapore. We are grateful to everyone who has generously contributed to this worthy cause". The cheque presentation was witnessed by Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Manpower, Zaqy Mohamed. Present in the ceremony were also Members of Parliament Alex Yam, Gerald Giam, Nadia Ahmad Samdin, Rachel Ong, and Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim. Official visit Vivian is making an official visit to the Middle East from Mar. 18 to Mar. 24, 2024. He will be visiting the Palestinian territories, Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He is accompanied by Members of Parliament and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. More than S$8.1 million raised so far The RLAF Foundation announced in a press release (Mar.17) that it has raised a total of S$8,114,422 for its humanitarian relief for Gaza appeal to provide aid in the form of health, relief and shelter for communities affected by the dire situation. The initial collection period for the fundraising initiative was from October 19 2023 to October 31 2023. Due to an outpouring of donations, RLAF obtained a two-week extension of permit from the Commissioner of Charities (CoC) for the fundraising to be conducted until November 17 2023. SINGAPORE – A scientist from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) sent messages to foreign mobile phone numbers in 2019 and 2020 in an attempt to arrange for commercial sex with children as young as 12 years old.
Jason Scott Herrin, 49, a principal research fellow at NTU at the time of the offences, was also found to have 31 obscene films and 90 photographs of child abuse after his phone was seized in August 2020. On March 18, 2024, the American pleaded guilty to two charges – communicating with another person for the purpose of obtaining commercial sex with a minor under 18, and another of possessing child abuse material. Another two charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. When Herrin was charged in January 2022, NTU’s website listed him as a staff scientist at the Facility for Analysis, Characterisation, Testing and Simulation. The Earth Observatory of Singapore’s website stated at the time that he was “involved in volcano research and the study of meteorites and asteroid impacts on Earth”. Following Herrin’s criminal charges, NTU said he has been suspended and barred from the campus, pending the outcome of the court proceedings. His profile is no longer available on both websites. The court heard on March 18 that while Herrin was in Singapore on Nov 14, 2019, he sent a WhatsApp message to an Indonesian mobile phone number. He told the recipient of the message to offer 12-year-old girls money in exchange for providing him sexual services. In their conversation, as revealed in court documents, Herrin offered four million rupiah (S$340) for sex, and two million rupiah for a sex act. On Feb 18, 2020, he sent a message to another foreign mobile phone number, telling the recipient to find a “kid” for him for a “high price”. Charge sheets state he intended to procure sexual services from the child. Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap said that after a police report was made regarding an unrelated matter, the police seized Herrin’s mobile phone on Aug 17, 2020, at his residence. She did not elaborate on what the original police report was about. A forensic examiner from the Criminal Investigation Department extracted messages, images and video files from Herrin’s phone, and found 90 photos showing child abuse. DPP Yap said Herrin had downloaded the photos from a few websites, and has been downloading such materials since 2019. His case is scheduled for a hearing on May 17. He is expected to be sentenced after that. NTU said previously in response to The Straits Times’ queries that all members of the university community are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct, and to abide by the law at all times. A NTU spokesman said: “The university will undertake internal disciplinary action after sentencing by the court, in accordance with our policies and procedures. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the case is before the court.” SINGAPORE - A woman, who failed to alert the police despite having reasons to believe that a man had raped her friend, was ordered to undergo probation for a year and nine months on March 18.
The 22-year-old woman had also committed other unrelated offences including cheating. As part of the sentence, she has to remain indoors from 11pm to 6am every day and perform 100 hours of community service. Her mother was also bonded for $5,000 to ensure her good behaviour. The names of all parties linked to this case have been redacted from court documents. On Feb 1, the offender admitted in court that she had failed to immediately give information to the police about the rape. The prosecution said she was legally bound to do so. The woman had also pleaded guilty to cheating and other offences. The woman, the 23-year-old victim, a 19-year-old male teenager and a 20-year-old man were part of a party of eight who had gathered in a room at Hotel Royal in Newton Road during the Covid-19 pandemic on Nov 28, 2021. The teenager was identified in court documents as B1, and the 20-year-old man, B2. The group shared eight bottles of alcoholic drinks. The court documents did not disclose the outcome of the cases involving the man and the teenager. At around midnight, a hotel concierge called the room to tell them they were in breach of Covid-19 regulations. Due to safe management measures, only up to five people could gather in a group at the time. Two people left the room, while six remained. In the wee hours of Nov 29, 2021, the victim felt tipsy and nodded off after downing a last shot of liquor. B2, who was lying next to her on a bed, began hugging her. Some time between 3am and 6am, B1 carried the victim to the bathroom and B2 raped the unresponsive woman. Court documents did not state what the other people in the room were doing at the time. After committing the offence, B2 carried the victim out and placed her back on the bed before falling asleep. When he woke up, he told B1 and the female offender that he had sex with the woman. The trio agreed they would lie to the victim by claiming she had woken up before following the man to the bathroom. The victim woke up later that morning and suspected she had been raped when she felt pain while using the toilet. She later asked the female offender what had happened, and the latter replied that she did not know. At around 9am, all six people left the hotel and the victim lodged a police report on Dec 1, 2021. Separately, in March 2022, the female offender came across an Instagram advertisement for “fast cash”, which directed her to a group on messaging platform Telegram. She communicated with a man known as “London Stark”, who offered her $1,000 to open a bank account. The woman did as she was told before handing over the Internet banking details, such as her password, to him. In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Tan Jing Min said the bank had not authorised her to do so. The woman had also deceived the bank into believing she was the sole operator of the account. Between March 9 and 16, 2022, London Stark used the account to handle the proceeds of a scam. The DPP did not disclose the amount involved. On May 9, 2022, the woman opened another bank account that was also used to handle scam proceeds. |
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