SINGAPORE — Six women aged between 35 and 45 were fined on Wednesday (Aug 17) after being arrested near Orchard Towers earlier this year for offering paid sexual services to male passersby.
They were each fined S$800 after pleading guilty to one charge each under the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act for soliciting in a public place for the purpose of prostitution.
They are:
- Phan Thi Phuong Diem, 40, a Singapore permanent resident (PR)
- Li Hongmei, 45, a PR
- Chu Thi Trang, 43, a PR
- Lu Xuemei, 41, a China national
- Li Suli, 45, a China national
- Shen Jie, 35, a Singaporean
Shen was further fined S$6,000 for providing unlicensed massage services, with a third charge under the Women’s Charter — living on the earnings of prostitution — taken into consideration for sentencing.
The court heard that the six were nabbed on the evening of March 30 when police officers conducted a raid in the vicinity of Orchard Towers, which is notorious for its nightspots and bars.
Chu and Phan approached a man and offered their sexual services at S$300 to S$600 for one-and-a-half hours.
When he agreed and invited both women to his nearby hotel room, they were detained by the police.
The same scenario played out for the other women. Investigations further revealed that Li Hongmei started soliciting at Orchard Towers in February this year, and had done so on at least three other occasions in March.
As for Shen’s offence under the Massage Establishments Act, she gave a 29-year-old customer a body massage for S$100 and also had sexual intercourse with him for another S$80 at Yang Sheng, located along Tyrwhitt Road.
This happened on the evening of April 13 last year. Shen was a temporary staff member who received a 60 per cent commission of the establishment’s revenue.
Its sole proprietor went there only once a month and allowed its staff to operate and manage the premises. He has since been fined S$6,000 for allowing massage services to be carried out without a licence.
Shortly after Shen provided her massage and sexual services, a group of police officers conducted a check at the establishment.
Those who solicit in a public place for the purpose of prostitution or for any other immoral purpose can be fined up to S$1,000.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to six months or fined up to S$2,000, or punished with both.
