Students filmed him masturbating in an empty classroom; video
posted on Net
The Straits Times
July 15, 2006
By Liaw Wy-Cin
ANOTHER Singaporean mobile phone video scandal is gaining
international notoriety, but this time it has cost an Institute of
Technical Education trainer his contract and could land some
students in legal hot water.
The saga began when a communication skills trainer hired for one
month by the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College West
(Bukit Batok Campus)locked himself in a classroom and began
masturbating to a pornographic video he was playing on the
classroom projection screen.
Unbeknown to him, a group of students was filming him on a mobile
phone from the floor above.
They then distributed the video to other students' phones and
posted it on popular websites.
In an e-mail response to The Straits Times' queries, ITE College
West principal Yek Tiew Ming said that when the campus management
learnt about the incident, the trainer's services were terminated
immediately.
Said Mr Yek: 'The trainer expressed remorse and regret for what
happened.'
The case has been reported to the police.
The classroom is considered a public place and under the
Miscellaneous Offences Act, the trainer's act constituted indecent
behaviour in a public place.
The penalty is a fine of up to $1,000 or up to one month's jail for
a first offence.
Lawyers contacted by The Straits Times said that for the students
who distributed the video clip, the penalty could be even greater
under the law.
Under the Films Act, a first-time offence carries a fine of $20,000
to $40,000 or a jail sentence of up to two years, or both. Even
those who did not display or distribute the video could be guilty
of possessing pornographic material.
However, the institute said that it would not take any action
against the students, as it was not able to ascertain who filmed or
posted the video clip.
It added: 'All ITE students have been advised that it is illegal to
store, circulate and broadcast undesirable materials.'
Now, like the recent 'Tammy' saga in which a Singaporean student's
home-made sex video briefly turned her into a reluctant celebrity,
the masturbation clip is making waves beyond the school.
Like the Tammy clip, it has also found its way onto overseas-based
sex websites.
ITE College West (Bukit Batok) students interviewed condemned the
trainer's actions.
Said a 17-year-old first-year student who declined to be named:
'He's a teacher and a role model. What if all students thought it
was okay to do this? Would we walk into class one day to see our
classmates doing this?'
Masturbating in a classroom carries a fine of up to $1000 or a
month's jail, whereas distributing a video clip of the masturbator
carries a fine of up to $40000 or a jail sentence of up to 2
years.
