SINGAPORE: A full-time national serviceman (NSF) with the Singapore Police Force, who offered cash to teenage boys and asked if he could perform sexual acts on them, was ordered to undergo reformative training for at least a year on Monday (Dec 29).
Young offenders given such a sentence are detained in a centre to undergo a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
Muhammad Shafirul Danish Muhammad Shaffie, 19, had earlier pleaded guilty in November to two counts of communicating with a young person below the age of 18 to try and obtain sexual services from him.
Shafirul had also admitted to a harassment charge.
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lewis Tan said Shafirul befriended a 16-year-old boy, identified as A1 in court documents, on Instagram in November 2024.
A1 told Shafirul his age, and during a face-to-face meeting in March, Shafirul borrowed S$45 from the boy.
The next month, instead of repaying the victim, Shafirul repeatedly offered to perform a sexual act on him. He even offered $200 to A1, who turned him down.
The DPP said: “Subsequently, the accused pretended to be someone called ‘Izz Syah’, offered to book a Grab vehicle for A1, and sent A1 a photo of four $50 notes totalling $200 to show that he had the means to pay A1.”
A1 nonetheless knew it was the accused messaging him and rejected the offer. He then asked Shafirul to return him the $45, the DPP added.
Shafirul said he would not repay A1 unless the victim accepted his offer. A1 then lodged a police report on April 10.
Separately, Shafirul came across a TikTok post by a second 16-year-old boy, identified as A2, in November 2024, and the pair started chatting. A2 also told the offender his age, the court heard.
In March, Shafirul said he wanted to perform either one of two sexual acts on A2, and offered to give him up to $290. He also offered the boy $50 to send him a picture of his genitals.
Shafirul started spamming A2 with messages after the boy rejected his offers.
DPP Tan said: “The accused then threatened to expose A2’s face on TikTok to shame A2 for not acceding to the accused’s offer.”
Shafirul later posted a video containing A2’s face on the social media platform. In the video, the offender stated that A2 was afraid to meet him face to face.
A2 later told his sister about his ordeal, and she lodged a police report in June.
Shafirul was arrested the following month and was released on bail in August.
Despite this, he contacted a 15-year-old boy, identified as A5, in September and offered to pay him $279 for either one of two sexual activities.
A5, who did not disclose his age to Shafirul, rejected the offer, the court heard. - The Straits Times/ANN
