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A 40-year-old man who posed as a social escort agent has had his appeal for a lower sentence dismissed by the Chief Justice on Dec. 1.
De Beers Wong Tian Jun's jail sentence was then more than doubled although the prosecution did not appeal for a higher sentence, reported Yahoo News.
Sugar daddy agent
Between April 2015 and January 2016, Wong cheated at least 11 women between the ages of 18 and 24 by advertising himself as a freelance agent looking to provide sugar babies to his wealthy clients.
The idea arose after Wong realised that he could not afford to pay for sex.
The man solicited obscene photographs for the purpose of circulation, and procured unprotected penetrative sex with multiple victims.
The man had pleaded guilty to 10 charges on Mar. 18, and was given three-and-a-half years' jail and a S$20,000 fine on Apr. 20, according to The Straits Times.
Claimed to suffer from adjustment disorder
Wong's lawyers appealed for a shorter sentence on Sep. 24, submitting a psychiatric report on Wong's state of mind at the time of the offences, reported CNA.
In the report, a private psychiatrist wrote that Wong had been suffering from adjustment disorder.
At the appeal hearing, a tearful Wong said he realised the "amount of stress and depression" he was going through after seeing the doctor, according to Yahoo News.
"I’ve always been trying to do good and it was only after speaking to counsellor did I realise why I made such a wrong bad decision at that time," he said.
Judge dismissed report
Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon rejected Wong's psychiatric report, saying that it was "of no assistance whatsoever to the court", and "ridden with falsehoods".
Yahoo News reported that the psychiatrist acknowledged that the report was entirely based on information Wong himself provided, and no independent information was provided when writing the report.
The judge said the psychiatrist should have been aware of the statement of facts, and chastised the defence for not placing the statement of facts before the psychiatrist.
In addition, the assessment of his mental state was done in 2020, while his crimes were committed five years ago.
The judge said the psychiatrist failed to explain how he could "retrospectively determine" Wong's adjustment disorder years after the offences.
Ultimately, the judge ruled that the report held no weight, and that the report had actually harmed Wong's case.
Increased sentence
At the appeal hearing, Wong's lawyers reiterated their defence of Wong's "good past", citing that he was previously the grassroots chairman of Sengkang West, reported CNA.
"There is a limit to how far you can push the clean record point," the judge responded.
According to the judge, the report displayed Wong's "casual disregard for the truth and willingness to flagrantly lie about what had happened even several years after the offences".
The judge found that Wong was "utterly bereft of remorse", highlighting that his actions were "cruel" and required significant premeditation, and could have been prosecuted as rape.
Wong's jail sentence increased from three-and-a-half years to eight years and five months, according to Yahoo News.
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Top images by DeBeers Wong Tian Jun/Facebook Bram Siregar/Google Maps