Reformative training for e-scooter rider who crashed into car door, later committed cheating and sex offences

• Benjamin Neo Song Ya first rode in the middle of the road with a pillion rider
• He then cheated three youths of mobile phones worth S$4,592
• He also had underage sex with a 14-year-old Secondary 2 girl when he was 18

SINGAPORE — A teenaged student first crashed into the side door of a car while riding his electric scooter in the middle of the road.

Benjamin Neo Song Ya then ran a telco scam with two youths, cheating three other youths of mobile phones worth about S$4,592.

After pleading guilty to those offences, he was again investigated by the authorities — this time, for having underage sex with a 14-year-old girl whom he was dating.

On Monday (Aug 3), Neo was sentenced to at least six months of reformative training, a regimented rehabilitation programme for offenders under 21 who commit relatively serious crimes.

Offenders are given a minimum period that is subject to how they respond to the rehabilitation. Reformative training is a harsher punishment than probation, which allows young offenders to continue with their education or employment while serving their sentences.

In all, Neo pleaded guilty to two cheating charges, one of theft, two of sexual penetration of a minor, and a sixth charge of committing a rash act endangering the personal safety of others.

Five other charges, including riding his personal mobility device (PMD) on the road, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

He will begin serving his sentence on Aug 20 and remains out on bail of S$20,000.

E-SCOOTER OFFENCE

Neo committed his e-scooter offence late on the evening of June 12, 2018, the court previously heard.

At the time, PMDs were allowed on footpaths but not on roads.

He was riding the PMD in the middle of Bedok North Street 2 towards Bedok North Road, with his 17-year-old friend as a pillion rider. He did not have a visible white light on the e-scooter.

Traffic flow was light and visibility was clear at the time.

While riding behind a car, Neo saw the driver slowing down at the entrance of a car park. Assuming that the driver was turning in, Neo claimed that he tried to slow down but had problems with his e-scooter brake.

The driver then chose to make an illegal U-turn in the opposite direction. Neo collided into the car’s side door, causing him and his friend to fall off the e-scooter.

The driver has since been given a stern warning for his actions.

The next day, Neo’s friend sought medical treatment for his soft tissue injuries that involved his knee, chest and forearm. He was given three days of medical leave.

Neo claimed that he sold the e-scooter after the accident, while the side door of the car was dented from the accident with its side mirror ripped off.

TELCO SCAM AND UNDERAGE SEX

In late 2018, Neo participated in a plan to cheat victims into signing up for mobile phone lines with telcos such as Singtel and StarHub, where the victims handed over the mobile phones and SIM cards that came with the plans.

Neo did this with 20-year-old Koh Jun Xiong, then a full-time national serviceman, as well as 18-year-old Goh Jian Min, who was unemployed at the time.

They conspired to cheat their three victims — now aged 14 to 18 — into believing that the telcos would not pursue outstanding bills and early termination charges, that they would be paid for signing up for phone lines, and that the accused persons would settle any outstanding bills.

Neo and Goh posted advertisements for “fast cash” on their Instagram accounts or got their friends to post the advertisements.

When a victim responded, the pair arranged to meet the victims to sign up for the plans. Goh then delivered the mobile phones and SIM cards to Koh.

Separately, a fourth victim was visiting a mutual friend when she left her iPhone XS, valued at S$700, on a table.

Neo took the phone, left the flat and met his friend at the Heartbeat@Bedok hub, which houses a mall, sports centre and other amenities. On Neo’s instructions, his friend sold the iPhone XS for S$930 and gave S$900 to Neo.

He has not made any restitution.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Matthew Choo told the court that in another offence, Neo “embarked on a romantic relationship” from January to March last year with a Secondary 2 student.

The pair had met at a social gathering of mutual friends in late 2018.

"Sometime during their relationship, the accused and the victim decided to engage in sexual intercourse after talking about sex. They would (do this) at either the accused’s or the victim’s house,” DPP Choo added. Neo was aged 18 at the time.

This came to light when the girl was admitted to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital for heavy menstrual bleeding and anaemia. She then revealed that she had had sex with multiple partners.