NTU scientist charged with possessing child abuse material, offering cash for sex with 12-year-old girls

SINGAPORE — A senior research scientist from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) was charged on Tuesday (Jan 25) with offences relating to child abuse, including sending messages to other people to obtain sexual services from children.

Jason Scott Herrin, 47, an American, was handed four criminal charges: One count of possessing child abuse material, one count of possessing obscene videos, and two counts of communicating with another person to obtain for consideration the sexual services of a minor under 18.

Court documents stated that on Aug 17, 2020, at Eco Sanctuary condominium in Bukit Panjang, Herrin allegedly had 90 photographs that constituted child abuse material.

He also purportedly possessed 31 obscene video files but no other details were given.

He is further accused of sending a message to an Indonesian number on Nov 14 in 2019 while he was in Singapore, telling the person to offer 12-year-old girls four million rupiah (S$375) to have sex with him.

Court documents also showed that on Feb 18, 2020, he allegedly sent a message to a Laos number telling the person to “find a kid” for him “for a high price”, with the intention of procuring sexual services from the child.

District Judge Terence Tay set his bail amount at S$20,000 and adjourned the case to Feb 22. 

Herrin's profile page on NTU’s Earth Observatory of Singapore states that he is involved in volcano research and the study of meteorites and asteroid impacts on Earth.

In response to TODAY's queries, NTU said that Herrin has been suspended and barred from going to the university campus, pending the outcome of court proceedings.

It added: "All members of the university community are expected to uphold the highest standards of ethical and professional conduct and to abide by the law at all times.

"The university will undertake internal disciplinary action after sentencing by the court, in accordance with our policies and procedures. It would be inappropriate to comment further while the case is before the court."

If convicted of possessing child abuse material, Herrin could be jailed for up to five years and fined or caned.

Those convicted of communicating with another person to obtain sexual services from those aged under 18 can be jailed for up to two years or fined, or punished with both.

Those convicted of possessing obscene films can be jailed for up to S$1,000 for each film or jailed for up to 12 months, or both.