S’pore diplomat who took nude photos of minor in Tokyo bathhouse sacked by MFA & fined

Singapore MFA diplomat sacked and fined S$2,700 for taking nude photos in Tokyo bathhouse

A Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) diplomat was fired yesterday (2 April) after secretly taking more than 700 nude photos of male customers at a bathhouse in Tokyo, Japan.

Christopher Sim Siong Chye, 56, was caught on 27 Feb 2024 for filming a 13-year-old boy in the men’s changing room of a public bathhouse, the Straits Times (ST) reported.

Source: Kyodo News

When caught, a search of his phone showed footage of the minor, other male customers from the same bathhouse, and similar photos from various public baths.

Minimally 700 photos were taken over a six-month period. Sim deleted the photos from his smartphone on the spot when caught.

He was issued a ¥300,000 (S$2,700) fine for trespassing the bathhouse and violating the Tokyo government’s ordinance for public disturbances, ST said.

Diplomat engages in bathhouse voyeurism

Sim was a counsellor, a diplomatic rank for experienced foreign service officers. The career diplomat worked at the Singapore Embassy in Japan.

According to ST, when caught for filming the minor and other acts of voyeurism, the Japanese police could not detain him. He had immunity from prosecution as he was a diplomat.

Source: Singapore Embassy in Tokyo on Facebook

He returned to Singapore in mid-April 2024 after he completed his duty in Japan.

The MFA then suspended Sim from duty and waived his diplomatic immunity to facilitate investigations by Japanese authorities.

Diplomat sentenced in Japan over bathhouse photos

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department made a request to the Singapore embassy through Japan’s Foreign Ministry for Sim to return to the country in May 2024.

According to Asahi Shimbun, he returned to Japan on 9 June for questioning by Japanese authorities.

Sim — who was a recipient of the National Day Award in 2016 and a published author — said that he did so by his own will, out of remorse.

Source: Prime Minister’s Office Singapore

According to CNA, Sim admitted to taking the photos.

“I was unable to control my desires when I saw a man naked,” Yomiuri Shimbun quoted him saying.

Sim was fined S$2,700 for trespassing the bathhouse and causing public disturbance.

MFA said on 13 June 2024 that it respected the decision by the authorities in Japan.

With his dismissal, the officer lost his diplomatic status and can no longer represent Singapore in any official capacity.

Also read: Ex JC teacher calls 4 underaged girls ‘wives’ & ‘sex toys’, molests 1 at NEX food court

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Featured image adapted from educationalresources.com.sg and Japan Guide. Images for illustration purposes only.