Man jailed for threat to damage ex-girlfriend's reputation

Malaysian Chong Jin Hoong, 24, who threatened to damage the reputation of his ex-girlfriend, was jailed for three weeks on Friday (Feb 26). PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

SINGAPORE - A Malaysian man who threatened to damage the reputation of his ex-girlfriend was jailed for three weeks on Friday (Feb 26).

Chong Jin Hoong, 24, admitted to two of three criminal intimidation offences on Sept 26 and 28 last year.

On Sept 28, he used his mobile phone to send the 24-year-old Chinese national screenshots of her friends accepting his "Friend Request'' on Facebook; a screenshot of a photo gallery showing thumbnail icons of six videos of the victim engaging in sexual activity; text messages and a video of her performing oral sex on him.

He had also threatened her two days earlier by sending a similar screenshot of a photo gallery and three text messages with the intention of causing her alarm.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Song Yeong told the court that Chong and the victim had been in a romantic relationship since January 2014. They had consensual sex six months later.

At some point, Chong started taking photographs and videos of their sexual activities.

The relationship eventually soured and the parties broke up in September last year.

At her request and in her presence, he deleted photographs and videos from his phone.

On Sept 26, they exchanged messages about her collecting her belongings from his home.

They got into an argument. Chong then sent the screenshot of a photo gallery with videos of her engaging in sexual activities to her. He also texted her saying he still had videos which he had not deleted, and threatened to tag her on her Facebook and WeChat accounts.

DPP Ng said he did this to scare her into talking to him and getting back together.

The court heard that he also sent her a photograph of her performing a sexual act on him and a video clip of her in the nude. He told her that he could track her down even when she had "banned'' him.

Two days later, Chong asked the victim why she had deleted him from her Facebook and WeChat accounts. She replied that it would be "more painful for the parties if they carried on''.

That evening, he sent her a screenshot of three of her friends who had accepted his "Friend Request'' on Facebook, text messages and another screenshot of a photo gallery .

She made a police report the next day. Chong did not send any videos or pictures to anyone other than the victim.

District Judge Ng Peng Hong took into account his lawyer's mitigation plea that it was a lovers' quarrel and that Chong did not take any money from the victim or ask for sexual favours. He added that he could not ignore the fact that Chong did threaten to make use of social medial to his advantage by threatening to send all those vidoes to the woman's friends.

Chong could have been jailed for up to two years and fined on each charge.

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