SG Nasi Lemak Telegram chat group administrator sentenced to mandatory treatment for a year

SINGAPORE - An administrator of the SG Nasi Lemak chat group, a platform on Telegram that hosted obscene photos and videos, was  on Thursday (June 3) sentenced to mandatory treatment for a year.

Leonard Teo Min Xuan, 27, had been diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and an Institute of Mental Health report said this contributed to his offences.

Serving a mandatory treatment order means Teo will receive psychiatric treatment to address his mental issues in lieu of jail time.

Teo was the last of four men to be sentenced over the chat group, which had 44,000 members at its peak.

He had earlier pleaded guilty to transmitting obscene material via electronic means and possessing 427 obscene images.

Another charge of possessing 99 obscene videos was taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that the four Singaporeans were arrested in October 2019 after a series of police reports were made between March and October that year.

Two of them - Justin Lee Han Shi, then 20, and an 18-year-old youth - were placed on probation.

The teenager cannot be named under the Children and Young Persons Act. He was 17 at the time of the offence in October 2019.

ALSO READ: 27-year-old pleads guilty to being involved in SG Nasi Lemak chat group that hosted obscene images and videos

The third offender - Liong Tianwei, 39, who was also an administrator of the chat group - was sentenced to nine weeks' jail and a fine of $26,000 in March this year.

The Telegram chat group was created in November 2018 and used as a platform to share obscene photos and videos, many of which are believed to involve women in Singapore.

It reportedly promoted vice activities as well. As the group grew, 29 of its members were given administrator rights.

Members had to upload and share pornographic material to remain in the chat group.

Teo could have been jailed for up to three months and fined for transmitting obscene material via electronic means.

ALSO READ: Youth linked to obscene SG Nasi Lemak chat group given probation

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.