NTU Student Jailed and Caned for Exploiting Underage Models

 

Tnee Chin Kiat, a 32-year-old former part-time student at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), was sentenced on March 25 to 27 months in jail and five strokes of the cane for exploiting underage girls in inappropriate photo shoots at his dormitory. Tnee, who worked as a flight engineer while studying, pleaded guilty to three charges: outrage of modesty, procuring an indecent act by a child, and possessing child sexual abuse material. Three additional charges were considered during sentencing.

The court heard that between 2016 and 2018, Tnee pursued photography as a hobby, luring girls—some as young as 13—into posing in lingerie at his dorm in NTU’s Graduate Hall 1. Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jing Min revealed that Tnee approached women he found attractive, hoping to engage in sexual acts with them. In 2018, he posted ads on Gumtree offering paid modeling opportunities. An 18-year-old victim responded and attended three photo shoots, during which Tnee restrained her wrists to his bed, molested her, and attempted to kiss her despite her protests.

Another victim, a 13-year-old girl, was approached on an overhead bridge and pressured into a shoot after Tnee bombarded her with Instagram messages. During the session, she expressed discomfort, but Tnee ignored her and continued photographing her in lingerie. She was paid $80 but was too scared to report the incident.

Tnee’s crimes came to light in September 2020 when he approached an 11-year-old girl for a photo shoot. While it’s unclear if she participated, his arrest led to the discovery of 1,144 obscene files on his devices, including 69 videos and 81 photos of child sexual abuse material.

Defense lawyer Gino Hardial Singh argued that Tnee had downloaded the illicit files in bulk without consuming them, but District Judge Eugene Teo dismissed this, stating the material’s severity warranted caning. Tnee, who graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees from NTU in 2016 and 2020, respectively, claimed in a mitigation letter that counseling and Buddhist meditation had reformed him. Judge Teo cautioned Tnee to avoid relapsing, emphasizing the sentence’s deterrent purpose.

NTU confirmed Tnee had no prior criminal record during his studies. The case underscores the dangers of predatory behavior disguised as artistic pursuits and the importance of safeguarding minors from exploitation.