A 19-year-old has been charged in court with several offences after being caught on video allegedly performing an obscene act on a cat.

On Mar. 5, the teen was charged with one count each of harassment and performing an obscene act in public, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

He also faces separate charges of assault and theft.

As the teen was below 18 as of the date of some of the alleged offences, he cannot be named.

Alleged obscene act

On Apr. 10, 2023, closed circuit television surveillance footage was circulated online, supposedly showing the teen assaulting a cat outside an HDB flat in Bukit Panjang.

The cat's owner had posted the video on his Instagram Story.

The footage was captured on Apr. 8, 2023 at around 1:51am, and forwarded to the owner by his neighbour.

The teen was arrested on Apr. 11, 2023.

The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Singapore (SPCA) issued a statement calling the video's contents "deeply distressing", and urging parents and educators to impart to children the "importance of treating all animals as sentient beings".

The Cat Welfare Society (CWS) also responded to the incident, calling on pet owners to ensure the safety of their pets, including by keeping their cats indoors.

Assault and theft charges

The teen's assault and theft charges arise from him allegedly stealing a wallet at a school on Jan. 10, 2022.

He is also accused of stealing a comb and a powerbank, along with four power cables. This allegedly happened at the void deck of a block of flats along Senja Road, also in 2022.

The teen also allegedly used vulgar words to abuse another person on Mar. 31, 2022, and allegedly assaulted the same person on two dates — Nov. 23, 2022, and Feb. 16, 2023.

The teen is expected to plead guilty on Apr. 16, ST reported.

Top image screenshot from @ismulazim on Instagram.