Probation for member of SG Nasi Lemak Telegram chat group who possessed 462 obscene films

SINGAPORE: A member of "sex-themed" Telegram chat group SG Nasi Lemak was sentenced on Friday (Oct 16) to a year's probation for possessing 462 obscene films, with two other charges taken into consideration.

Justin Lee Han Shi, 20, will have to remain indoors from 11pm to 6am every day and perform 40 hours of community service. His parents put up a bond of S$5,000 to ensure his good behaviour.

A report found that Lee was suitable for probation and the prosecutor said he was not objecting to it.

The judge reminded Lee that if he commits another offence, he can be liable to be sentenced again for this case.

Lee had pleaded guilty to one count of possessing obscene films, with two other charges of possessing devices containing 556 obscene pictures and transmitting pornographic material to the SG Nasi Lemak Telegram group taken into consideration.

The police had received information in March last year about obscene materials being distributed on the messaging platform Telegram.

The chat group SG Nasi Lemak is believed to have had more than 44,000 members at one point and included obscene photos and videos of women. It came to public attention after some women realised their photos were in the chat.

Police raided Lee's home in October last year and seized devices from him. Lee admitted downloading obscene photos and videos online, which he stored for his personal use and forwarded to other members in the chat group.

For possessing obscene films, Lee could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$20,000 or both.

Lee is the first of four men charged over the case to be sentenced. The others are chat group administrators Leonard Teo Min Xuan, 27, and Liong Tianwei, 38.

The fourth accused is an 18-year-old who cannot be named under the Children and Young Persons Act as he was under 18 at the time of the offences. The cases for the co-accused are pending.