Blackmailing gigolo jailed 13 weeks
Male sex worker threatens to leak nude photo of woman, 67
She had a two-year relationship with a male sex worker nearly 30 years her junior.
But the affair turned ugly when the 67-year-old Singaporean woman decided to end things and stop giving the gigolo money.
Freelance masseur Calvin Mok Wai Lun, now 41, demanded $100,000 from the woman to end the relationship.
The bespectacled Hong Kong national threatened to disseminate her compromising video clips and a nude photograph of her if she did not give in to his demand.
The court heard that he had taken them without her knowledge while they were on holiday together. The woman cannot be named due to a gag order.
Mok was jailed for 13 weeks here on Friday (Nov 6) after admitting that he had sent the woman a series of messages with intent to cause her alarm. He committed this offence in Hong Kong on Aug 20.
The New Paper understands that this is the first transnational crime under the Protection from Harassment Act where the crime was committed overseas and the victim was in Singapore.
The pair met in 2013 while the woman was on holiday in Hong Kong.
She contacted Mok via a now-defunct website that linked male sex workers with potential clients. The portal also catered to homosexual men.
CNN had reported that the 50-year-old CEO of the US-based portal was among seven people arrested in New York in August for allegedly conspiring to promote prostitution.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Sheryl Janet George told the court on Friday (Nov 6) that Mok and the Singaporean woman had a sexual encounter the first time they met.
They later grew close and developed a relationship.
Between 2013 and this year, he accompanied her on holidays around South-east Asia and she paid for all the expenses.
DPP George said: "During this period, the victim would also give the accused some money as 'rental fees' as she knew he was in financial difficulties."
Court papers did not mention the amounts.
Mok showed his true colours and blackmailed the woman when she decided to call it quits in July.
On Aug 20, he sent her a series of threatening WhatsApp messages. He also sent her voice clips, threatening to ruin her career and destroy her reputation.
After negotiating with him, the sum demanded was finally reduced to $60,000.
The distressed woman made a police report six days later.
She also managed to convince Mok to come to Singapore on Sept 3 to collect the money.
He arrived at Changi Airport that day and was arrested by police officers.
They seized his mobile phone and found the woman's nude photograph. They also discovered two video clips of the couple engaging in sexual activities.
Mok's lawyer, Mr Troy Yeo, told District Judge Soh Tze Bian that his client was very sorry.
Mr Yeo also said that Mok knew he had abused a trusting relationship and had taken advantage of the woman.
For harassing the woman, Mok could have been jailed up to six months and fined up to $5,000.
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