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Man who photographed boys in toilet jailed and fined

Singapore State Courts (AFP Photo/Mohd Fyrol)
Singapore State Courts (AFP Photo/Mohd Fyrol)

While in a male toilet of Woodlands Regional Library, a man filmed an 11-year-old boy who was relieving himself in a cubicle.

Saiful Bahri Ahmad Bohaiki was caught in the act when the boy saw him looking over the cubicle.

The 39-year-old Singaporean was jailed 15 months and fined $1,000 on Thursday (27 December) in the State Courts. He pleaded guilty to one count of committing public nuisance by peeping at the boy and positioning his mobile phone camera at him.

He also admitted to one count of attempting to commit an indecent act with a 13-year-old boy and one count of performing oral sex on another 14-year-old boy.

One count of sexually exploiting a minor by asking for a nude photo and one count of procuring an indecent act through a video call with a minor were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Saiful indicated that he will be serving one week jail in lieu of the fine.

None of the victims can be named to protect their identity

Saiful put up advertisements on online classifieds site Locanto to seek male sexual partners sometime in August last year.

The 14-year-old boy responded to the advertisement and met up for sexual activities at a park near Beauty World MRT Station the same month. There, Saiful performed oral sex on the boy and later paid him $30. Saiful knew at the time that the boy was a minor under 16.

A few months later, on 6 October, the 11-year-old boy visited the male toilet in Woodlands Regional Library to relieve himself. He soon noticed a white mobile phone over the top of the cubicle wall. Saiful then withdrew the phone and peeped over the wall at the boy. He fled after the boy shouted at him.

The boy informed his father about the incident, which was reported to the police.

Later in December, another 13-year-old responded to Saiful’s advertisement. They agreed to meet up at a public toilet at Woodlands Civic Centre a few days later for sexual activities. Saiful offered the boy $30. The boy eventually cancelled the meetup.

Saiful was arrested on 30 March this year and had his phone seized. The phone contained four photographs of unknown male persons relieving themselves in a toilet.

Saiful admitted to taking photos of boys inside the library on several occasions since 2016.

For the charge involving oral sex on a minor under 16, Saiful could have been jailed up to 10 years and/or fined. For attempting to procure an indecent act with a child, he could have been jailed up to five years and fined a maximum $10,000 on a first offence. The charge of public nuisance carries a maximum fine of $1,000.