A private rental car driver sexually abused a woman on an unregulated platform and obtained sexual services from a teenager

SINGAPORE – A driver who offered to transport people through an unregulated private hire platform sexually abused one of his passengers and obtained the sexual services of another under 18 years old.

For his crimes, Muhammad Shaharudin Abdul Wahid, 29, was sentenced to one year and four months in prison and two lashes by the state courts on Tuesday (May 7).

The delivery man pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault and one of obtaining the sexual services of a person under 18 years of age in exchange for money.

Three other charges of a similar nature were taken into account for his sentencing, including one of indecent exposure.

The victims, who were aged 19 and 16 at the time, cannot be identified to protect their identities.

The first victim, a polytechnic student, had engaged Shaharudin’s services as a driver through a Telegram group chat called “SG Bike Hitch”, an unregulated ride-sharing group.

On December 9, 2021, the victim needed to travel from Bedok to Bugis Junction to meet a friend. She made a ride request and offered S$15 (US$11) as a fare. Shaharudin accepted the job.

At around 6:50 p.m., the defendant picked up the victim in a car, with the victim sitting in the front passenger seat.

During the trip, he asked if the woman was open-minded, about her sexual experience and how many ex-boyfriends she had had.

He also asked if she was a virgin, to which the victim said no. She was reluctant to go into detail about her sexual experiences.

About 20 minutes later, as the car approached a drop-off point at Bugis Junction, Shaharudin told the woman that the drop-off point was for taxis and suggested that she send her to another drop-off point. The victim agreed.

Then he touched her thigh.

The victim pushed his hand away and told him to stop. He placed her laptop next to his thigh to block his hand, but Shaharudin persisted.

He also sexually abused her under her clothes when the car stopped at a red light.

Minutes later, he suggested dropping the victim off somewhere else, but she refused. Still, Shaharudin drove towards Geylang and Guillemard Road.

At the victim’s insistence, Shaharudin agreed to send her back to Bugis Junction, but she exposed herself during the journey.

He then attempted to force the woman’s head and hand towards his genitals. The woman’s hand briefly came into contact with her genitals. Following this, she sexually abused the surprised victim under her clothing for several more seconds.

They finally dropped off the victim around 7:21 p.m., after paying the ticket.

She broke down when she met her friend, who advised her to file a police report. The victim did so the next day.

He also visited the hospital due to pain in his right hand due to his fight with Shaharudin. Slight redness was noted on the wrist and the victim was discharged on medical leave for three days.

I OFFERED YOUNGER VICTIM A FREE TRIP

In March last year, Shaharudin took advantage of the younger victim. This victim had requested a ride home from her school through the Telegram group chat “Bike Hitch”, and she offered to pay S$15. Shaharudin accepted the job.

The victim, dressed in her school uniform, wanted to sit in the back of the car, but Shaharudin forced her to sit in the front.

During the trip, he offered to give her a ride for free if she performed a sexual act on him. The victim accepted her offer and performed the act.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jocelyn Teo argued for a sentence of between 18 and 21 months in prison and two to four strokes of the cane.

Ms Teo cited Shaharudin’s premeditation as an aggravating factor, as the accused went astray and took advantage of the long journey to commit his crimes against the elderly victim.

Shaharudin had also used force to force the elderly victim to touch him.

In the case of the younger victim, Shaharudin did not ask her age despite picking her up while she was wearing a school uniform, Teo said.

The penalty for obtaining sexual services from a person under 18 years of age in exchange for remuneration is a prison sentence of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

For indecency, Shaharudin could have been imprisoned for up to two years, fined or flogged, or received any combination of these punishments.