Singapore legislation

Clause 37

of Women’s Charter (Amendment) Bill

Clause 37

New section 146A

The Women’s Charter is amended by inserting, immediately after section 146, the following section:“Remote communication service operated or maintained for offering or facilitating provision of sexual services, etc.146A.—

(1)

A person in Singapore who, in the course of business, operates or maintains in Singapore a remote communication service that —

(a)

offers or facilitates the provision by a woman or girl to another person of sexual services in return for payment or reward; or

(b)

organises, manages or supervises the provision of sexual services referred to in paragraph (a), which may include inviting others to receive or participate in providing those services,shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —

(i)

to a fine not exceeding $3,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 years or to both; and

(ii)

in the case of a second or subsequent conviction, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.(2) To avoid doubt, the reference in subsection (1) to the provision by a woman or girl to another person of sexual services in return for payment or reward includes, but is not limited to, a reference to the prostitution of the woman or girl.(3) In subsection (1), “remote communication service” means —

(a)

any website, web service or Internet application;

(b)

any service using voice telephony;

(c)

any service using a messaging system; or

(d)

any other kind of electronic or other technology for facilitating communication.”.