A MINISTRY of Home Affairs officer had been going through a rocky spell with his girlfriend when he learnt that she was planning to go on holiday in Malaysia with a male colleague.
Upset and resentful, 38-year-old Adrian Goh Guan Kiong decided to humiliate the civil servant by sending four naked pictures he had taken of her to her colleagues in a WhatsApp group along with lewd messages.
Yesterday, the father of three became the second man to be convicted of unlawful stalking, receiving a six-month jail sentence.
Goh admitted to engaging in acts associated with stalking which caused harassment to the 25-year-old woman – who cannot be named due to a gag order – between July 31 and Aug 3 last year .
Assistant Public Prosecutor Thiagesh Sukumaran said Goh came to know the woman in late 2011 during her university holidays.
They entered into a relationship shortly after.
While they were together, he took nude pictures of her with her consent and promised not to circulate them.
But their relationship was rocky at times. He felt that he was spending too much money on her and was insecure over her close relationship with several male colleagues. They quarrelled as a result.
After learning that she was travelling to Malaysia with her male colleague, he felt betrayed.
During a visit to Causeway Point mall on July 31 last year, he went to a toilet taking her mobile phone which she had given him in trust. He used it to send the four photos to her WhatsApp group along with lewd messages.
After ignoring several calls, he sent another message to the group saying: “Oops… wrong chat group Ps.” He then returned the phone to her.
When she questioned him about her naked pictures and the messages, he denied sending them.
On Aug 3, Goh created a fake e-mail account and sent a message to her boss, lying that she and her colleague had slept together.
The same day, he posted a letter to her father, falsely claiming that it had come to the notice of the family’s church that his daughter was engaging in “pre-marital sex” with two men.
The victim made a police report on Aug 3.
APP Thiagesh told District Judge Ow Yong Tuck Leong that Goh’s conduct was designed to harass, humiliate and impugn the reputation of the victim who had to take leave from work.
Goh has been suspended from duty since last August and faces disciplinary proceedings.
In his written mitigation plea, he apologised for his actions and said that friends now treat him like a “leper”.
A spokesman for the MHA said: “Officers of the Ministry of Home Affairs are expected to uphold high standards of discipline and integrity, and abide by the law.”
The maximum penalty for unlawful stalking is a $5,000 fine and 12 months’ jail.
elena@sph.com.sg
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