A 27-year-old man who graduated from the National University of Singapore (NUS) trespassed into a hostel on campus in January 2019 to steal a vibrator belonging to a female student he was following on Instagram.
Seven months after his theft, on July 18, he returned the sex toy to her room.
Aroused by his deeds, Chua Chang Rong then sent the 22-year-old woman lewd messages over Telegram four days after the second intrusion, asking if they could be "friends with benefits".
Chua pleaded guilty to three charges of theft, criminal trespass and sending insulting communication intending to cause alarm.
One more count of a criminal trespass will be taken into consideration for sentencing.
The woman's identity is protected by a court order.
What happened
Chua committed the offences about a year after he graduated from NUS.
Chua knew the victim via Instagram during his time at the school and found her attractive.
Through her profile, he knew she was staying in a residence hall.
The woman did not know Chua.
Chua was working as a product specialist when he committed his crimes.
Went to her room when she was overseas
Chua knew the woman was overseas based on her Instagram posts in early January 2019.
He then went to look for her room in the university hostel, as he knew from his time in NUS, that most students did not lock their room doors and had their names on the doors.
To gain entry, he tailgated a student to enter the hall.
Once he found the victim's room via her name on the door, which was unlocked, he entered the room.
He looked through her personal belongings, including her lingerie.
He became sexually aroused when he found a S$40 vibrator in the drawer and took it.
The woman came back from overseas and found her sex toy missing, but thought that she had misplaced it.
Returned to the woman's room again
On July 18, 2019, Chua re-entered the hostel again by tailgating another student.
This occurred seven months after he first gained entry.
He was there to return the vibrator this time.
He saw from the victim's Instagram Story that she was at work at that time.
He re-entered the room and found two new sex toys in a box.
He handled the items and took a photo and returned the first vibrator he had stolen.
He also took a photo of the victim's resume.
Contacted victim
On July 22, 2019, four days after his second trip to the room, Chua sent a message to the victim.
He did so after he found her on Telegram via her Instagram name.
He started a secret chat and used the name "Bobby" without revealing his phone number.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Li Yihong said Chua contacted the victim as he became sexually aroused from thinking about how he had entered the victim's room and looked through her belongings, CNA reported.
Chua messaged the victim to tell her he wanted to "surprise" her by returning her vibrator.
He also said he saw the new sex toys she had bought.
The woman asked who he was, but was not told Chua's identity.
Chua then asked the victim if she wanted to be friends with benefits "since I already know your dirty little secret".
He also told her that they could "get to know each other real well", as he offered himself whenever she wanted to be "satisfied".
Victim alarmed and scared
The victim was alarmed and did not reply to Chua's messages.
She felt very scared because Chua said he had entered her room without her knowledge.
The victim informed NUS' campus security when she returned to her room that night and found her missing sex toy returned to her.
Security reviewed closed-circuit television footage and spotted Chua entering her room.
The victim reported the matter to the police.
In court for crimes
The defence lawyer requested to call for a report assessing Chua's suitability for a mandatory treatment order, but the deputy public prosecutor objected.
A mandatory treatment order ensures the criminal record for the offence committed will not be documented.
It is usually given to criminals who have certain mental or psychiatric conditions when they committed their offence.
The Straits Times reported that the judge called for a report to assess if Chua is suitable for a mandatory treatment order.
This would have him receive mental health treatment in lieu of jail time.
Diagnosed with paraphilia
The Institute of Mental Health (IMH) report diagnosed Chua with an adjustment disorder with depressed mood and high sexual drive, along with possible paraphilia, which is a sexual interest in atypical situations or objects.
But this would not deprive him of his impulse control, the DPP said, according to CNA.
Chua is very ashamed of his actions and is now on medication, and has also written a letter of apology to the victim, his lawyer said.
Chua will return to court in May for sentencing.
Chua could be jailed up to three months or fined up to S$1,500, or both for criminal trespass.
He could be jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$5,000, or both, for using insulting words intending to cause alarm.
Top photo via NUS