13 Jun 2002

2 men in s'pore jailed for having oral sex in public pool

A married man and his lover were sentenced yesterday to a month in jail for having oral sex at a public swimming pool in Singapore.

A 48-year-old married man and his 27-year-old lover of 2 years each received a one month jail term after confessing in court on Wednesday that they had committed an act of gross indecency at River Valley Pool last year, according to a report in the Lianhe Wanbao, a popular Chinese language evening tabloid.

The literally translated newspaper deadline reads "good husband has rendezvous with lad in public pool."
On 11 July 2001 at 4:35pm, the pair had waited until the other swimmers left before they had oral sex in the pool. According the report, a lifeguard who witnessed the incident from his office confronted and detained the pair after they had finished and was resting by the poolside.

In their defence, their lawyers pleaded for leniency as this was their first offence and that the older man has a 22-year-old daughter and an 18-year-old son and is thought to be a "good husband and father" who "loves cooking great meals for the family."

The men were charged under Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code, which prohibits acts of gross indecency between males, in public or private. In Singapore, oral sex is a crime unless it is followed by penile-vaginal sex.

Editor's note: The original report carried the Chinese character translation of the names of the offenders.

Singapore