SINGAPORE, Nov 19 — A Singapore man pleaded guilty yesterday to creating fake Facebook accounts to impersonate an acquaintance and share anti-Islam content.

The case, which involves charges under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) and the spreading of offensive material, has drawn attention due to the psychological and professional damage suffered by the victim.

According to The New Paper, Chua Wang Cheng, 33, first met the victim, who cannot be named due to a gag order, during national service in 2011.

Over time, Chua developed a dislike for the victim, describing him as “arrogant and sarcastic.”

In February 2019, Chua created a fake Facebook account using the victim’s name and photographs.

He added up to 627 people as friends and posted personal photos with captions meant to mislead others into thinking they were the victim’s own.

The impersonation escalated when Chua shared a testimonial from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) along with derogatory remarks. The account was flagged as fake by several users and deactivated in September 2019.

However, after an anonymous complaint suggested the account was inciting racial and religious hatred, the victim was summoned for police questioning.

Despite denying ownership of the account and filing a police report, Chua reactivated the account. Facebook eventually shut it down for violating its community standards.

Undeterred, Chua created a second fake account using the victim’s identity in November 2019.

Through this account, he shared two anti-Islam YouTube videos, one of which mocked Prophet Muhammad and Islam.

The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) reviewed the content and determined that it contained offensive material aimed at disparaging the Muslim community.

Chua’s actions led to three additional police reports being filed against the second fake account.

In total, the victim was summoned for police investigations at least twice.

Chua eventually admitted to his actions during police interrogations.

In messages to an unidentified individual, he revealed his enjoyment of spreading anti-Muslim content, stating that it “felt really good” to post such material.

The victim reported the significant impact on his life, noting that his reputation had been severely damaged, and he had experienced both psychological and professional setbacks.

Chua has pleaded guilty to one charge under the Protection from Harassment Act and two charges related to the sharing of offensive religious content. Four additional charges will be considered during sentencing.

His sentencing is scheduled for 16 December 2024.