新加坡男人的网络买春

The New Paper 22 May 2005 By Edwin Yeo IN a packed posh bar, a businessman's handphone beeps. John, 28, (not his real name) showed me the SMS he received. It read: 'Name: Gucci. Age: 22. Ht: 1.62. 35C 24 35. 130 90 2. Photos upload tmr upon arrival.' He explained: 'Gucci's the name of the latest prostitute on the way to Singapore. She's 22, 1.62m tall. 'The next three numbers are her vital statistics. She will set you back $130 for a 90-minute session of sex or two sessions, whichever is shorter.' No, this isn't some sick way which the Geylang brothels are marketing their services. The SMS came from a person best described as an Internet pimp. Said John: 'There's this guy who gets these girls from overseas to 'freelance' in Singapore for a few days. 'Before they arrive, he will put up pictures of them on his website or send out SMSes. Bookings will then be accepted via call or SMS.' So yes, it's a virtual red-light district, as The New Paper discovered when we checked out the website, which is hosted in Thailand. A quick check showed four other pimps operating on the Net. In the Thai site, girls in various states of undress pose seductively on the website. The site looks innocent enough at first glance, no different from other Internet forums where you can post your comments. But when you click on some of the links, it becomes clear that it's a prostitution service. Some of the girls offering their services claim to be students, magazine cover girls and even, as in the case of one, a television actress. Besides showing customers what the girls look like, the site is also used for 'advance bookings'. Some of the more in-demand prostitutes require a minimum of 25 bookings before making a trip to Singapore; otherwise they deem it not worth their time, John said. Alternatively, the pimp may also guarantee the girl at least six slots a day for her to come to Singapore. If he cannot get the required amount of bookings, he will pay the girl the difference, he added. The site also serves as a forum for men to discuss how 'satisfied' they were with the service. One particular user said in vivid detail why he was happy with Gucci. Some even go as far as posting personal pictures of their encounters. John admitted to being a frequent customer of this Internet pimp. 'His girls are always good-looking. Some of them are models, or at least, they look like models. It's better and cheaper than the China girls at the KTVs,' said John. John said that the girls charge anything from $130 to $300. HIGH-CLASS HOTELS He added 'The business is not done in those sleazy motels. The pimp usually arranges for the transactions to take place in five-star hotels in town, and the fee is inclusive of the room.' He explained that a customer can't stay beyond the 90 minutes allocated, and a girl is usually booked back-to-back from evening until the early hours of the morning. 'Usually, they're so in demand that you can't even insist on a certain time slot. They will tell you when your slot is and you just go when it's your turn,' he said. 'It's not easy to become a member. You have to be recommended by someone, otherwise the pimp won't entertain your calls.' The pimp is very careful, said John. Even if a caller says he was recommended, the pimp will still make checks. 'A banker introduced me. When I called, he actually called my banker friend to verify it,' said John. All deals are done via SMS or phone. John has used the service for almost a year now, with six transactions in total. Yet, he has never met the pimp face-to-face. When The New Paper called the pimp, pretending to be a customer without a recommendation, the man denied he was running the syndicate. When told that his phone number was obtained from the website, he said he had no idea what it was and how his number ended up there. He said: 'Somebody must have been playing a prank on me,' and hung up. A check with John, however, showed that the phone number was the one he received the SMS from. John revealed that the pimp once told him he has about 200 regular customers in Singapore. From the forum, John also made some friends who are customers. 'Quite a few of them are white-collar workers. I've met a few lawyers and accountants who patronise the girls,' claimed John. FOUR VIRTUAL PIMPS OPERATING HERE INTERNET pimping appears to be catching on. Apart from the website John used, a few others also advertise their girls who come into town. A quick check revealed at least four other Internet pimps. Their modus operandi are the same. They put up pictures of beautiful girls from various countries in the region. They solicit bookings and then book a room in a five or four-star hotel. The pimps then contact the customers via SMS or call them about the arrangements. The customers will then go to the hotel. In all transactions, the pimps are invisible. They never make personal contacts with customers. It is illegal in Singapore to live off the earnings of a prostitute or for a prostitute to solicit for business. Any person who knowingly lives wholly or in part on the earnings of the prostitution of another person can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $10,000. Any male person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offence may also be caned. Cyber pimps can be prosecuted A CYBER pimp would still run foul of the law even if he were not physically present at the transaction between customer and prostitute. Said criminal lawyer Amolat Singh: 'It's an offence for anyone to solicit for sex. The fact that he is using technology like the Internet or SMS does not give him a defence even though he is not physically present. 'That's because the intention of linking up a woman with a client is still there. It's just that the modus operandi is different.' A police spokesman said the police will look into the matter to see if any offence has been disclosed when information is received on the matter.

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