In March 2019, a man who gets sexually aroused by the touch of his feet raped a youngster by stroking her soles and toes – just two months after being fined $8,000 for similar offenses.
Tan Boon Hwee molested another woman in July 2017 by caressing her feet in an unrelated incident.
He convinced the duo to show him their feet by pretending to be assisting non-profit organizations, including the "Barefoot Walking Society." He would then touch the women's feet as he photographed them.
The Straits Times' web search finds that such a society does not exist, although there is a Society for Barefoot Living that promotes the benefits of being barefoot.
The 32-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to two weeks and five days in prison on Wednesday (April 6) after pleading guilty to two molestation offences.
"While the accused's outrages of modesty are less obtrusive since they affect feet rather than private parts, they are far from innocuous," Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En stated.
"It is an affront to women's autonomy over all aspects of their bodies, as well as their right not to have any part of themselves sexually invaded without their consent."
Noting that Tan's actions cannot be justified since they breach his victims' informed consent, DPP Chong added: "The accused's disguise as'charity' preys on his victims' goodness or compassion... It denigrates people engaged in legitimate philanthropic endeavors."
Tan met his first victim, a 28-year-old woman, on the online dating app Tinder, the court heard.
They visited MacRitchie Reservoir on July 16, 2017 and were sitting on a bench in the late afternoon when he lied to her about being a member of the Barefoot Walking Society. Tan then requested permission to photograph the woman's feet.
"When (she) pressed him for information about this charity, the accused stated that it was a 'low-key' operation," DPP Chong stated. He insisted it was genuine, showing her photographs he had taken of other women's feet."
He then stroked the woman's soles and touched her toes as he took photographs. She ordered Tan to stop, feeling "uncomfortable and humiliated."
He then proceeded to ask intimate questions of the woman, who indicated that she simply regarded him as a friend and left.
Tan continued to message her despite this. Additionally, he intimidated the woman when she inquired about the photographs he had taken earlier.
The woman was traumatized, as this was her first Tinder date, and it had gone poorly.
In 2019, she notified authorities after learning she was one of Tan's victims following local media reports about his conviction for assaulting other victims.
Tan was fined $8,000 for his previous offenses on Jan 7 of that year, but reverted to his old ways two months later when he approached an 18-year-old lady working in a business.
This time, he pretended to be a representative of the People's Association and was organizing an exercise in which "they would write phrases on the soles of their feet and photograph them to create a collage."
Tan asked her if she wanted to join the "movement" after explaining that the phrases and images were designed to "inspire" others. When she accepted, he stroked her feet and began photographing her.
"(The adolescent) felt really uneasy when the accused handled her feet," DPP Chong stated. She Googled his name and saw his 2019 conviction, at which point she filed a police report."
An offender might face up to two years in prison and a fine or caning for each offense of molestation.
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