Jail for domestic helper who tried to blackmail married man using intimate photo after they had sex

SINGAPORE — A married man secured the services of a part-time house cleaner online but ended up having a sexual relationship with her.

The woman, Cuizon Melissa Bariga, then tried to blackmail him into lending her S$3,500 by threatening to send a photo of his penis to his wife, and telling her about their relationship.

On Monday (July 18), Bariga, 40, was jailed for eight weeks after she pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal intimidation. 

Another charge of distributing an intimate image was taken into consideration for the  Filipina’s sentencing.

A gag order has been imposed by the court and the married man’s identity cannot be revealed.  

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Timotheus Koh told the court that the man had been searching for a part-time housekeeper on the social media platform Facebook when he came across Bariga’s profile.

He sent her a message and offered her a job to clean his house, to which she agreed. She started work on Jan 6 this year.

At some point, the pair began having a sexual relationship and even sent “sexual photograph of themselves” to each other, DPP Koh said.

However, the relationship took a turn on Feb 5 when Bariga asked the man to lend her S$3,500 and lied that it was meant to repay a loan from a loan shark where she acted as a guarantor.

The truth was, Bariga wanted to use the money to repay a friend from whom she had borrowed money.

When the man refused, Bariga threatened to send photographs of his penis to his wife and expose their relationship. The man did not budge.

It is not clear if Bariga acted on her threat, but she eventually sent the photographs of the man’s penis to another man, who went by the name of “Adrian Wong”, with whom she had an online relationship. 

Wong then used the images to threaten the man. It was not stated in court if Wong has been identified, and if he will be facing any similar charges for criminal intimidation.

Anyone found guilty of criminal intimidation can be jailed for up to two years or fined, or both.  

Those found guilty of distributing intimate images or recordings can be jailed for up to five years, fined, caned or punished with any combination of the three.