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Singapore

81-year-old man fined for running unlicensed massage parlour, failing to stop employee offering sexual services

81-year-old man fined for running unlicensed massage parlour, failing to stop employee offering sexual services

File photo of someone giving a massage. (Photo: Unsplash/Conscious Design)

SINGAPORE: An 81-year-old man was fined S$18,000 on Wednesday (Jul 21) for running a massage establishment without a licence and for failing to stop an employee from offering sexual services.

Too Seng San pleaded guilty to two charges: For operating Tai Kang Yang Seng TCM Therapy at Block 201, Hougang Street 21 on Apr 17 last year when he did not have a valid licence to provide massage services; and for failing to ensure his employee did not provide sexual services.

Another two charges including operating a business when his shop was not allowed to do so during the COVID-19 "circuit breaker" were considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Too was the sole owner of the business and went down to the shop to collect profits regularly. He had four female employees, all Chinese nationals aged between 33 and 42.

At about 12.15pm on Apr 17, 2020, when no one was allowed to leave their homes for non-essential purposes, 32-year-old Cheow Jie Min Samuel entered the shop through the back gate.

He asked if massage services were available, and a 34-year-old masseuse led him to a shower on the first floor. After Cheow showered, he went to a private room where the masseuse massaged him.

She then offered him sexual services for S$100, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh. Cheow agreed, and the masseuse performed the service.

At 12.47pm that day, a woman called the police and said: "This is my second and third time calling already. I believe that this massage parlour is operating despite the circuit breaker period. I saw (a) few customers ... coming in and out of the shop through the rear entrance. Can send police now."

The police arrived shortly and found Cheow in the shop and four masseuses. There were three rooms with curtains installed, each containing a massage bed, the court heard.

Too was convicted in July 2019 for a similar offence and was liable to enhanced punishment, the prosecutor said.

In that instance, vice activities were also detected at Too's massage establishment, named Monte Aesthetic. A masseuse at that parlour had offered a man sexual services for S$80.

For providing massage services without a licence issued under the Massage Establishments Act, Too could have been jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$20,000, or both.

For failing to ensure that his employee did not provide any sexual service in his shop, he could have been fined up to S$5,000.

Source: CNA/ll

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