Former Singapore army captain sentenced to 17 months for sexual abuse of a 15-year-old

In 2024, Chaw Chia Jun, then a 39-year-old captain in the Singapore Army, engaged in sexual activity with a 15-year-old secondary school student after being introduced by his ex-partner, 26-year-old navy cook Owen Toh Wei Song. The victim, seeking friends on an online forum for mature gay men, contacted Toh, who misrepresented Chaw’s age as 32. The three met in a multi-storey car park in Punggol, where Toh and Chaw performed and filmed sexual acts with the minor.

Subsequent encounters, including one in a disabled toilet at a shopping mall, were also recorded by Chaw, who kept the videos on his phone. The victim’s family reported the abuse, leading to police action. Chaw pleaded guilty to three charges and was sentenced to 17 months’ imprisonment; Toh received a 12-month term the previous month. The judge emphasized that the lack of coercion did not mitigate the offence, underscoring the law’s aim to protect minors.