Man admits posing as agent for 'sugar daddies' to lure 11 women into sex acts

SINGAPORE: Over 10 months, a man who could not afford paid sex posed as an agent for wealthy "sugar daddies" and tricked 11 women into sex acts with him on the premise of "testing" them out for clients.

De Beers Wong Tian Jun, 39, pleaded guilty on Thursday (Mar 18) to 10 charges including cheating, criminal intimidation and possession of obscene photos for circulation. Another 26 charges will be considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Wong wanted to have paid sex in 2015 but could not afford the prices he saw listed in online advertisements. He devised a scheme to advertise for "sugar babes", or paid escorts who provided sexual services to "sugar daddies" in exchange for money.

In the ad, Wong lied that he was a freelance agent who connected such escorts to his well-to-do clients and sought people who were "serious about earning good money".

Between April 2015 and January 2016, at least 11 women aged between 18 and 24 responded to Wong's advertisement on Locanto. Wong said he had clients who would pay them S$8,000 to S$20,000 per month, but said they had to first send their nude photos to Wong or engage in sexual acts with him.

He claimed this was necessary for the women to be "evaluated" by his clients to assess if they were suitable for a "sugar daddy" arrangement.

In truth, he had no such clients and had lied so that he could have sex with women without needing to pay them. After obtaining nude photos of the women or filming his sex acts with them, Wong would threaten them with dissemination if they did not engage in sexual activity with him again.

All the women suffered mental anguish after their encounters with Wong, with some having recurring nightmares and others experiencing fear, anxiety and paranoia that he would leak their intimate pictures or videos.

ONE VICTIM PLAGUED BY ANXIETY ATTACKS AFTER ENCOUNTER

One victim was 24 when she came across Wong's advertisement in October 2015. He lied to her that she could earn S$10,000 to S$20,000 per month from his "sugar daddy" clients, and asked for nude photos of herself.

The woman was reluctant, but Wong convinced her into doing so by saying that "all my girls take skimpy pics so you will be on a losing end".

After viewing the photos, Wong said before introducing the woman to any clients, he needed to meet her for a photoshoot and to engage in sexual activity so he could rate her performance for his clients.

He claimed that "sugar babes" who did not engage in sexual activity with him would have to settle for lower-paying clients. The woman was again reluctant, but Wong coaxed her by saying he had a client who was keen to meet her when he arrived in Singapore and had last paid a "sugar babe" S$16,000.

The woman met Wong at a hotel where he took topless photos of her. When she wanted to leave, Wong convinced her into having unprotected sex, again lying about having to "test" her.

He did not introduce the woman to any clients after that, and she experienced anxiety attacks in the following days. She would be triggered by memories of the encounter with Wong and start crying, experiencing symptoms such as shortness of breath, headaches, nausea and giddiness.

She also began having sleeping problems and nightmares and avoided going to the area where the hotel was situated. She was later diagnosed with adjustment disorder with anxiety.

However, Wong continued contacting her in a bid to meet her again. When she did not respond within 12 hours, he told her he would introduce another "sugar babe" to his purported client instead.

He also forwarded screenshots of what he claimed to be conversations with his clients, and said he was unable to answer their questions about her performance.

When the woman asked Wong to delete nude photos of her in October 2015, he lied that he had done so. She continued begging him to delete the photos until January 2016, when Wong told her he had retrieved backups of her nude photos and would delete them only if she agreed to provide him with sexual services.

When the woman told Wong that she was doing him a favour by not going to the police, he replied: "Now I have to pass your photos to my friends in case anything happen(s) to me they will use the photos as they wish."

The woman felt afraid and lodged a police report against him a few days later.

The prosecution called for at least 30 months' jail for Wong's "sustained and egregious offending against multiple victims" over 10 months, highlighting the premeditation and planning involved in his "systematic approach".

He made up conversations with his "clients" and manipulated the victims, devising excuses to justify soliciting sex from them and causing mental harm to them.

The defence said Wong had been diagnosed with adjustment disorder that affected his capability to make decisions, and that he is remorseful and has stayed clear of trouble.

He still has anxiety due to the proceedings, with investigations starting six years ago and weighing "heavily on his mind", said the lawyer. He suffered ill health and had a stroke earlier this year.

He will return to court for sentencing next month.