Jail for man who molested teen passenger while providing illegal carpooling service

SINGAPORE: A man who provided an illegal carpooling service in a Malaysia-registered car molested a 14-year-old passenger after she requested a ride via the SG Hitch group on messaging platform Telegram.

On Wednesday (July 3), Fong Tong Zjin, 23, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail and three strokes of the cane after he pleaded guilty to a molestation charge.

The Malaysian was also fined S$1,800 for offences including using the car as a public service vehicle without a valid licence to do so.

At around 5pm on Nov 25, 2023, the victim went on the SG Hitch group and requested a ride from a block of flats in Yishun Ring Road to the Primz Bizhub building in Woodlands Close.

Fong responded to her in a private message, and they agreed that she would pay him $8 for transporting her there.

Around 20 minutes later, he arrived in a BMW car. Even though the car was registered to his girlfriend’s brother, Fong was the main user of the vehicle and was responsible for financing it, the court heard.

Upon arrival, the victim was about to open the back door of the car when Fong opened the front passenger seat door and told her to sit beside him.

She agreed, and Fong was driving the car when he asked to hold her hand.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Yap Jia Jun told the court: “When the victim did not respond, the accused used his left hand to hold onto the victim’s right hand, with their fingers intertwined.

“He also rubbed her palm with his thumb, and commented that her hand was smooth. The victim did not resist. This lasted three to five minutes.”

Fong later groped the teenager’s chest before withdrawing his hand, and touched her private parts.

The DPP added: “The more the victim tried to push the accused’s hand away, the more he touched her.

“The victim remained in the car because she was afraid of dying if she jumped out. Instead, she just asked the accused to drive faster.”

The victim later reached her destination and Fong deleted the Telegram chat that he had with her.

Court documents did not disclose what happened next, but Fong was arrested on Nov 26, 2023.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said that for commuters’ own safety, it strongly encourages those who wish to book carpooling services to do so via licensed or permitted licence-exempt business platforms.

An LTA spokesperson added: “The operators of these platforms would maintain a record of the driver and trip in the event of an incident or dispute.

“Operators would also be required to verify the validity of drivers’ licences... Illegal carpooling trips matched through informal channels such as Telegram chat groups do not offer such commuter safeguards.” - The Straits Times/ANN