Photo for illustration purposes only.
KUCHING (June 26): A 20-year-old youth who pleaded guilty to doxing his ex-girlfriend via Threads has been ordered to complete 60 hours of community service under the Welfare Department.
Magistrate Ling Hui Chuan, sitting in the Bau Circuit Court, convicted the youth under Section 507E of the Penal Code for publishing, etc any identity information to cause harassment, distress, fear, or alarm.
The Section carries a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.
However, the sentence was imposed pursuant to Section 293(1)(e) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which provides alternative sentencing options for youthful offenders of community service not exceeding 240 hours in aggregate.
The accused published his ex-girlfriend’s identity and personal information with intent to cause her harassment at a house in Samariang Aman around 6am on April 6.
Based on the facts of the case, the 16-year-old victim had been in a romantic relationship with the accused starting last December and had met him several times before she ended the relationship at the end of January.
The victim later discovered a Threads account named ‘mir_rr4’ had uploaded photographs of her and personal details, including her full name, residential address, and school, without her consent.
Suspecting that the account belonged to her former boyfriend, the victim contacted him and requested that the postings be removed, but he refused.
The act caused the victim distress, embarrassment, and emotional harm, prompting her to lodge a police report, which led to the accused’s arrest and the seizure of his mobile phone.
Investigations found that the accused’s phone contained login records linking him to the account.
He also admitted to creating a new Instagram account linked to the Threads profile using the pseudonym ‘mir_rr4_’.
At the material time, the accused, while in his father’s car, had posted the victim’s personal information on Threads, including allegations relating to debts, seeing another boyfriend, and dissatisfaction with the victim following their breakup.
The accused further stated that he had deleted the Threads and Instagram applications, although the postings remained online.
Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Fauzulutfi Suriani appeared for the prosecution, while the accused was unrepresented.
