Local rapper arrested after trying to blackmail teen over nude photos
PUBLISHED ONJune 15, 2015 11:15 PM
A local YouTube personality has been nabbed for criminal intimidation.
Toh Yifan, 18, better known as Tzire, a rapper, was arrested on Wednesday after a woman made a police report against him for attempting to blackmail her with her nude photos.
The woman, an 18-year-old freelance make-up artist, told The New Paper on Sunday (TNPS) she met Tzire on Facebook in January.
"He added me (as a friend) and asked me to like his page, and we starting chatting from there," she said.
She said he invited her to his home on April 22.
There, she said they both agreed to play strip poker, which led to both of them removing all their clothes and her performing a sex act on him after losing a bet.
The woman said he made her a snack before she went home.
On May 4, Tzire contacted the girl, asking for a loan of $120, but she refused. According to messages on her mobile phone which she showed TNPS, he claimed he owed money to loan sharks.
On Wednesday, he contacted her again, asking to borrow $150.
When she remained reluctant to give him money, the rapper said he had her nude pictures from the strip poker tryst.
In messages that followed, the rapper asked her for increasing amounts, of $250, then $400, with Tzire eventually raising the amount to $1,000.
He added that the money was to pay his debt of $3,100 to loan sharks.
The woman said she never gave him any money and that same day, she made a police report.
Police have confirmed the report and said investigations are ongoing.
The girl said she broke down when Tzire told her about the photos.
"I cried. I didn't know what to do, I couldn't sleep, it was a traumatising experience," she said.
VERY SORRY
She added that he messaged her later and said he was very sorry for blackmailing her and that he "took down the picture already".
She said she did not know if Tzire had uploaded the picture online.
When asked why she agreed to play strip poker with him, she said he "was cute and spoke with an ang moh slang".
She said: "Why must he do this to me? His parents are well off, they live in a big flat. Why must he take money from loan sharks or me?
"I don't want to ruin his life, but I hope he learns from this. I can only hope that the police stop him from ever releasing those photos, if they exist."
She said she had not consented to Tzire taking nude photographs of her.
When contacted, Tzire said he was arrested on Wednesday night and released on Thursday morning.
He added that he has to report back to the police in two weeks.
"I can't hide anything. I made a mistake and I want to apologise," he said.
"I want to apologise to my parents and close friends, and also to the girl if I've caused any hurt to her."
He admitted to blackmailing the woman and said that the police had confiscated his mobile phone.
He declined to reveal why he had borrowed money from loan sharks and whether he still owed them.
This article was first published on June 14, 2015.
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