A 30-year-old engineer who attempted to coerce a young woman into free sexual intercourse using intimate photographs was sentenced to 14 months behind bars at the District Court. The case concluded as the court emphasized that the defendant acted with calculated intent right up until the moment police intercepted him.
From a Dating App Chat to Digital Extortion
The sequence of events began on November 6, 2024, when the defendant, an engineer named Chung Tsz-tung, connected with a 25-year-old woman referred to in court documents as Miss X via the dating application Heymandi. Chung solicited sex work services from the victim and demanded photographs. Miss X transmitted three images, including an upper-body nude in which she used her hands to cover her breasts.
Armed with the intimate images, Chung threatened to upload the photographs to the online forum “LIHKG” unless she agreed to provide him with one instance of free sexual intercourse. Distressed, Miss X filed a police report.
The Sting Operation
Following police instructions, Miss X arranged to meet Chung that evening at the basketball court in Kwok Tak Tsuen. Officers lay in wait as Chung arrived for the rendezvous carrying a condom. When police moved in to intercept him, Chung attempted to flee, sprinting approximately 500 meters before officers subdued and arrested him.
During caution questioning, Chung admitted to the offense, stating to the arresting officers, “I wanted to have sex, so I threatened to put her nude photos online. I know I was wrong.” A subsequent search of his person confirmed the presence of the condom, which the bench cited as evidence that he was single-minded.
Remorse in the Dock and the High Cost of Online Exposure
Appearing in the District Court, Chung pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to procure an illegal sexual act by threat or intimidation. During mitigation, the defense argued that the crime was a single isolated incident that ran counter to the defendant’s true character. Lawyers told the court that Chung wished to offer a sincere apology to Miss X, noting that he felt deeply ashamed and humiliated, while his family and girlfriend were left grief-stricken by his actions.
Deputy Judge Karen Shing Shuk-han delivered a warning about the nature of digital abuse. The judge noted that while the case did not involve a minor, the offense carried gravity. Once uploaded to the internet, digital images circulate with a borderless reach that makes complete eradication virtually impossible, leaving victims to suffer unimaginable psychological terror. Judge Shing stressed that because Chung brought a condom to the meeting, his actions showed he was single-minded and would have succeeded had law enforcement not intervened. Taking into account his clean record and guilty plea, the court handed down a 14-month prison sentence.
