A 19-year-old woman who accused a man of raping her has admitted that she filed a false police report after he refused to pay her $1,200 for sex, CNA reported.
Claris Ling Min Rui, now aged 20, pleaded guilty on Sept 1 to two charges: giving false information to a public servant, and threatening to report the victim to the police for rape — a charge under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) for causing alarm.
The woman had connected with the man — more than twice her age — on a dating app. After meeting for dinner and drinks, the pair had consensual sex.
When she later asked the 43-year-old for $1,200, he refused and offered her $500 instead. Angered by the rejection, the woman called the police and falsely claimed that she had been raped.
Man agreed to pay $200 for ‘her time’
The two connected on Sugarbook, which typically pairs men seeking “love and emotional connection” with younger women who want “mentorship and financial advice”, according to its website.
Ling and the man began chatting on Telegram and arranged to meet for a date on March 18 this year. The court heard that the man agreed to pay Ling $200 for “her time”.
Following drinks at a bar, they went to a hotel and engaged in consensual sex.
Later, Ling demanded $1,200 from the man, but he refused and instead offered $500 after she began scolding him. She rejected the offer as well.
Past midnight on March 19, she threatened to report the man for rape. She later lodged a false police report, before texting him: “You’re f***ed.”
Account not corroborated by footage
A police officer was dispatched to the hotel where Ling claimed she had been raped by the man while intoxicated. At around 2am, another officer arrived, and Ling repeated her allegations.
However, when officers reviewed the hotel’s closed-circuit television footage, they found that it did not corroborate her account.
At around 2.10am, Ling admitted that she had fabricated the report because the man refused to pay her what she wanted.
Her defence lawyer, Rohit Kumar Singh, argued that this was a “very painful lesson she has learnt”, and said probation would be an appropriate sentence.
Calling for a report to assess Ling’s suitability for probation, the judge adjourned sentencing.
For giving false information to a public servant, Ling faces up to two years’ jail, a fine, or both.
For using threatening words to cause alarm, she could face a jail term of up to six months, fined up to $5,000, or both.
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This article was first published in The New Paper. Permission required for reproduction.
