Online vice syndicate busted - 80 people nabbed including civil serpents

[enterprise2]

Father of 3 jailed for sex with underage girl
By Claire Huang | Posted: 04 March 2013 1229 hrs

SINGAPORE: A man nabbed in a high-profile online vice ring crackdown last year has been sentenced to eight weeks' jail.

Kenny Sim Choon Wee, 39, admitted to having paid sex with a 17-year-old teenager in October 2010 at Hotel 81 in Bencoolen Street.

He was one of 50 men implicated in the online vice ring case.

In his mitigation, his lawyer said the girl, who cannot be named, had deceived the men.

Mr Anand Nalachandran pointed out that Sim was genuinely mistaken and did not seek the services of an underage prostitute.

He added that Sim, who has three children, suffered from cerebral palsy and now has limb spasticity.

Mr Anand urged the court to give a substantial fine instead of a jail term.

But the prosecution argued that the onus was on Sim to verify the age of the girl and that he failed to do so.

It added that the law expected Sim to have exercised due diligence, but he allowed himself to be misled by the representation of the minor on the website.

It asked for a jail term of at least 12 weeks.

But the judge took into account Sim's medical condition and sentenced him to eight weeks' jail instead.

It's understood that Sim is appealing against the sentence.

- CNA/ck

3 kids, and able to have sex with a minor....not bad for a guy with "cerebral palsy and now has limb spasticity"

 

[ray_of_hope]

Did he go to Court just wearing a singlet?

 

[Leckmichamarsch]

Casino gambling is not vice but prostitution is. Go figure.

Exactly what is wrong with prostitution? It is the oldest profession.
Men go to prostitutes for a good time, honest transactions and no judgments.

Who gave the government the right to be arbiters of morality?

Is there a clause on a public servant's employment contract which specifically prohibits him from visiting a prostitute? If not, and if there is no bribing involved, what's the problem?

Are these sporadic and random anti-vice sting operations done 'for show' to pacify the conservative/religious/anti-prostitution crowd? That's sheer hypocrisy.

The problem is gahmen does not get much or anything outta it like COE, ERP, Direct Income Tax just those paid by Dutch prostitute............. hence the relentless hunt. Sr SPF bastards also fuck outside marriage but without paying until caught

 

[Confuseous]

Is there a clause on a public servant's employment contract which specifically prohibits him from visiting a prostitute? If not, and if there is no bribing involved, what's the problem?

Yes, but what happens when the prostitute later joins a commercial company selling equipment to the civil servant who screwed her, commercially? Govt will scream corruption...

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

As far as I'm aware, there are still plenty more horny men still pending trial including some high profile foreigners.
Can anyone direct me to a summary of who has been sentenced and who is still pending a decision.
50 is a lot for just for one under-age Lolita.

 

[Vinnie]

Swiss national to go on trial for online vice ring case
By Claire Huang | Posted: 06 March 2013 1445 hrs

SINGAPORE: A Swiss national accused of having paid sex with an underage girl will be the first to fight the case this month.

Juerg Buergin, 41, was one of 51 men implicated in the high-profile online vice ring crackdown last year.

The former executive director at UBS Investment Bank faces two charges - he allegedly paid the girl a total of S$1,250 for sex in September 2010 and in January 2011.

Buergin's lawyer, Selva K Naidu, said trial dates have been fixed for five days this month. The trial begins on March 19.

A large part of the defence's case would be whether mens rea (a guilty mind) is required to constitute the offence.

In this case, the lawyer said the accused did not have a guilty mind, which meant that he would not have known that the girl was a minor and hence he is not guilty of the offence.

So far, 18 out of 51 men have been dealt with.

They include former executive director of the Singapore Environment Council, Howard Shaw, and former school principal Lee Lip Hong.

- CNA/xq/ms

 

[Bigfuck]

Swiss national to go on trial for online vice ring case
By Claire Huang | Posted: 06 March 2013 1445 hrs

SINGAPORE: A Swiss national accused of having paid sex with an underage girl will be the first to fight the case this month.

Juerg Buergin, 41, was one of 51 men implicated in the high-profile online vice ring crackdown last year.

- CNA/xq/ms

Look at the size of those boobs, man boobs

 

[crackhead]

Look at the size of those boobs, man boobs

saw him on TV yesterday...looked like he went to court bare footed. can meh?

 

[Bosco]

Look at the size of those boobs, man boobs

Flabby chested, not busty.

 

[SHA0KAHN]

Woman at centre of underage paid sex to testify in-camera
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 19 March 2013 1325 hrs

SINGAPORE: The 20-year-old woman at the centre of an underage paid sex scandal will testify in-camera in the trial of a Swiss national accused of paying her for sex.

The court decided on this on the opening day of the trial of Juerg Buergin on Tuesday.

The 41-year-old former executive director at UBS Investment Bank is the first of 51 men accused of paying the same girl for sex to fight the charges.

His lawyer and the prosecution argued over whether the witness should testify in-camera, away from the public eye.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavitha Uthrapathy pushed for a private court hearing, saying the woman is a "very vulnerable witness" and is "susceptible to mental and emotional injury".

She pointed out that the witness, who turned 20 a few days ago, might have to testify in potentially 30 trials and deserves protection.

Defence lawyer Selva K Naidu said it is "difficult to accept she was a victim".

He felt that the risk of damage to her reputation or the "embarrassing nature of evidence" is not sufficient shield her from a public hearing.

The District Judge agreed with Mr Naidu that there was no coercion involved but shared the prosecution's view that she is a minor who needs to be protected under the law here.

He added that given high publicity of the case and in the interest of justice, her evidence should be given in-camera.

Buergin, wearing a suit with a red tie, declared in court that he is not guilty.

A father of two, he allegedly paid the girl a total of $1,250 for sex in September 2010 and in January 2011.

Three witnesses - a forensic analyst, a security director at Shangri-La Hotel and a fraud manager with M1, have taken the stand so far.

Tang Boon Thiew, who is allegedly her pimp, took the stand on Tuesday afternoon.

He told the court that he didn't recognise Buergin as he had never met his clients.

When asked why he did not change the girl's age to 18 on the website that promised sexual services, when he found out her real age in 2010, Tang replied that the girl was 17 years and 8 months old, and it appeared logical to him to round up her age.

- CNA/fa/ms

 

[SHA0KAHN]

Ex-UBS Executive Deceived by Girl and Pimp, Lawyer Says
By Andrea Tan - Mar 19, 2013 1:57 PM GMT+0800

Juerg Buergin, a former executive director of operations at UBS AG (UBSN) in Singapore, was deceived by an underaged prostitute and her pimp into believing she was 18, according to his lawyer.

The girl, now 20, wasn’t a victim and should testify publicly, Buergin’s lawyer Selva Naidu told a Singapore subordinate court today on the first day of the Swiss national’s trial. Judge Eddy Tham agreed with prosecutors that she give evidence privately.

Buergin, 41, is the first of 51 men charged by police for having paid sex with the girl to stand trial. At least 18 men, including a member of the Shaw family that built an Asian movie production and real estate empire, have been sentenced to jail after admitting to paying for sex with a minor.

Buergin, married with two children, allegedly committed the offenses at the Shangri-La Hotel in September 2010 and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in January 2011.

The maximum penalty for paid sex in Singapore with someone under 18 is a seven-year jail term and an unspecified fine.

The criminal case is Public Prosecutor v Buergin Juerg. DAC13762/2013. Singapore Subordinate Courts.

To contact the reporter on this story: Andrea Tan in Singapore at [email protected]
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Douglas Wong at [email protected]

 

[enterprise2]

He is a disgrace. Jail him, cancel his EP and kick him back to Swissland!

 

[SHA0KAHN]

Ex-UBS man met with at least 10 escorts, court hears

Former USB-banker Juerg Buergin arrives at court with his lawyer Selva K Naidu on March 19, 2013. The Swiss national is claiming trial for having commercial sex with a minor. Photo: Ernest Chua

BY ASHLEY CHIA

SINGAPORE — Former UBS executive director Juerg Buergin had met with at least 10 escorts from the online agency operated by Tang Boon Thiew between Sept 29, 2010 and Nov 7, 2011, the court heard today.

The Swiss national, who married with two children and is the first to claim trial in the high-profile online vice ring scandal, had assumed that the escorts were all aged between 18 and 43.

On the few occasions when the escorts he requested were not available, Tang would recommend other girls to Beurgin, including “Chantelle”, the then underaged girl at the centre of the case.

Chantelle, now aged 20, was 17 at the time she had sex with Beurgin.

Beurgin, 41, is charged with two counts of having commercial sex with a minor below 18 years old twice on Sept 29 2010 at the Shangri-La Hotel and on Jan 3, 2011 at Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

He has pleaded not guilty and is seeking to prove to the court that he had in fact been cheated by Tang, who he alleged deliberately hid Chantelle’s real age.

The website where Beurgin got to know about Chantelle had also stated that she was 18 years old.

Whenever she met clients, Chantelle had brought along her the identity card of her elder sister who was two years older.

It was also heard in court that Tang had told Chantelle that she should pick up more clients as she wanted to earn more money.

Chantelle takes the stand today behind closed doors.

ASHLEY CHIA

 

[SHA0KAHN]

UNDERAGE PROSTITUTE IN ONLINE VICE-RING CASE TESTIFIES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

20 Mar 2013

The underage prostitute at the centre of the online vice-ring case testified behind closed doors in a district court on Wed (Mar 20).

White paper was used to cover the windows on the door of the court, just before the woman was called to the stand after the pimp, Tang Boon Thiew, 39, had completed his evidence on the stand.

The Straits Times reported that the 20-year-old woman was 17-years-old when her trysts with Swiss national Juerg Buergin occurred.

Mr Buergin, a 41-year-old former executive director of UBS, is on trial for paying $600 for a minor's sexual services at Shangri-La Hotel on Sept 29, 2010, and $650 at Mandarin Marina Hotel on Jan 3, 2011.

Defence lawyer Selva K. Naidu produced a document showing that his client Buergin had made bookings for the escorts' services over a period of about a year until October 2011.

Some of the bookings did not go through but in all, he met 10 women, including the minor, in hotels such as St Regis, Grand Hyatt and Marina Mandarin. The other women were all above 18, the oldest being 43.

 

[SHA0KAHN]

Minor in underage sex case told pimp: Raise my fee or I'll quit

March 20, 2013 - 12:58am

By: Elizabeth Law

ST FILE PHOTO

When he first hired her as a social escort in 2010, she asked for a much higher price than he was willing to give.

Tang Boon Thiew (above) told a district court yesterday that the girl in the middle of the online vice ring case, who goes by the moniker Chantelle, then agreed to an initial booking fee of $400.

But as time went by, she demanded for the pimp to increase her fees or she would leave for another social escort agency.

Tang, 39, was testifying at the trial of Juerg Buergin, 41, who faces two charges of commercial sex with a minor.

He allegedly had sex with her on two occasions -- on Sept 29, 2010, at the Shangri-La Hotel, and on Jan 3, 2011, at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel - paying $600 for the first encounter, and $650 for the second.

Read the full report in The New Paper on Wednesday (March 20).

 

[SHA0KAHN]

Girl at centre of online vice ring case testifies in court
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 20 March 2013 2219 hrs

SINGAPORE: The 20-year-old girl at the centre of the high-profile online vice ring case testified for the first time on Wednesday at the trial of Swiss national Juerg Buergin.

In a private court session, she claimed that she recognised 41-year-old Buergin out of the 80 clients she provided sexual services to.

For three hours, the courtroom windows remained sealed up with white paper while a security guard prevented curious members of the public from entering the courtroom as the girl gave evidence that she had paid sex with Buergin on 29 September 2010 and 3 January 2011.

The prosecution told an open court later that the girl recognised Buergin as he "was white", and that she had sex with fewer than "three white guys".

The girl also remembered having to change condom while having sex with Buergin on 3 January 2011. She was using a particular brand of condom and she felt uncomfortable.

She also testified that she had sex with him at luxury hotels whereas other clients brought her to budget hotels.

The court also heard that Buergin would pay her upfront which she said was a "rare thing".

In addition, he would pass her the money in a hotel envelope which was another distinguishing trait.

The court also heard that the girl was among 10 other escorts that Buergin had met through the same website.

Whenever the escorts that Buergin requested were unavailable, their pimp Tang Boon Thiew would recommend another woman.

This arrangement was revealed during the second day of the trial of the former executive director of UBS Investment Bank.

Buergin's lawyer, Mr Selva K Naidu, read out a string of text messages between his client and Tang from September 2010 to November 2011.

Throughout their exchanges, Buergin used the name "Robert James".

Between September 2010 and November 2011, Buergin met them at hotels, including the Marina Mandarin Hotel, Grand Hyatt Hotel and St Regis Hotel.

The trial will resume on March 25 with Buergin taking the stand.

The father-of-two is the first of 51 men accused of paying the same girl for sex to fight the charges.

- CNA/fa

 

[SHA0KAHN]

Swiss national in online vice ring case takes the stand for the first time
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 25 March 2013 1640 hrs

SINGAPORE: Swiss national Juerg Buergin on trial for allegedly having paid sex with an underage girl has taken the stand for the first time.

He told the court that he could not remember the girl whom he allegedly had sex with twice.

The 41-year-old added that he could not recognise the girl even when she turned up in court to testify last week.

On both occasions - 29 September 2010 and 3 January 2011 - Buergin said he could not recall what had happened in the hotel rooms - if he had "full sex, oral sex or masturbation with the girl."

Several times throughout the three-hour hearing, Buergin added that he could not recall the exact amount that he had paid her.

He also could not remember paying the money in an envelope or changing the condom during sex - details which the girl had earlier testified to.

In response, the prosecution noted that Buergin had forked out "close to S$1,000" during each meeting with the girl, inclusive of her rates and the hotel room.

Buergin did state that he was aware that it was illegal to have paid sex with a girl under 18 years old.

He also admitted to not asking the girl for her age or checking her identity card on both occasions.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavitha Uthrapathy brought up the pimp's message to Buergin to meet the girl earlier before 10pm as she was only 18.

Buergin said it did not raise any red flags that the girl could not stay out too late, or that she was under parental control.

Buergin, who has an 11-year-old child, also admitted to being a regular client of the website where he procured the girl from.

He said he had expected all information including the girls' ages to be accurate, except for their monikers.

Buergin, who used his own moniker "Robert James" to contact the pimp, said he did so to protect his reputation.

He claimed that he was "misled" by both the website and the girl herself to her actual age.

When questioned why he had procured her services, Buergin replied he was "giving into temptation."

The case will resume on 28 March.

- CNA/ck

 

[Microsoft]

20 yrs old still mus use white paper to cover up? Btw...izit those white paper Pappies release recently? Nobody gib a shit so end up using it to cover windows...

 

[Big Sexy]

ms.. you sure you didn't use the white paper to wipe your ass after you poo poo..

20 yrs old still mus use white paper to cover up? Btw...izit those white paper Pappies release recently? Nobody gib a shit so end up using it to cover windows...

 

[Microsoft]

ms.. you sure you didn't use the white paper to wipe your ass after you poo poo..

chiu got a copy? Gib moi...moi use it to poo poo...