Another underage vice ring smashed

Yet another prostitution ring involving underage sex workers has been smashed.

A man in his mid 30s was charged earlier this month with one count of living off the earnings of a prostitute, which is an offence under the Women's Charter.

The offence, which involved a 29-year-old Singaporean woman, allegedly happened between April and November.

The alleged pimp is the registered owner of a social escort agency as well as of a trading company.

The New Paper understands that he had more than 10 women working for him and that out of these, a handful are said to be below the age of 18.

Commercial sex with a woman under the age of 18 is illegal and anyone found guilty of it can be jailed up to 10 years and fined.

Some of the women were as young as 17 when they first started working for the alleged pimp.

A few had been working for him for several months while others had been with him for at least a year, and some, for up to three years.

The women involved are a mix of ages, nationalities and races.

Sources told TNP that the vice ring had operated for more than five years, but was said to have ceased operations last month.

WEBSITE DOWN

The social escort agency's website is also down and an "Under Maintenance" sign is on the site.

TNP understands that no one else has been charged, although investigations are still ongoing.

The alleged pimp is in remand for further investigations and TNP understands that more charges will be filed against him.

A person who is found guilty of living off the earnings of prostitutes faces up to five years' jail and/or a fine up to $10,000.

PREVIOUS CASES

2014:

The owner of one of the largest vice syndicates busted in Singapore was jailed for 35 months for 43 vice-related charges.

He was also fined $98,000 for seven manpower offences.

Ang Boon Seng and his Filipino wife recruited 55 women from the Philippines to work in a chain of nine pubs to provide sexual services to patrons.

In the four years that he ran the syndicate, he made $1.08 million in profits, with 40 per cent of that money coming from providing sexual services in his pubs.

2013:

Tang Boon Thiew, who was behind a high-profile online vice ring, was convicted of 20 vice-related charges, and was sentenced to 58 months' jail and fined $90,000.

The 39-year-old recruited 19 escorts, 17 of whom provided sexual services over a span of about two years. One was a 17-year-old who provided paid sex to 51 men.

Tang lost his appeal against his sentence in the High Court in June 2013.

This article was first published on December 12, 2014. 
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