Kota Kinabalu: An Indonesian woman was fined RM4,000, in default eight months’ imprisonment, by the Magistrate’s Court here after pleading guilty to soliciting customers for prostitution.
Titi Suriani, 26, pleaded guilty to the charge before Magistrate Marilyn Kelvin over an offence committed at about 9.10pm on Oct 8 this year at Hotel Lintas View.
She was charged under Section 372B of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail term of one year, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Prosecuting officer Inspector Yusdi Basri told the court that police acted on information from an undercover agent about a website allegedly promoting prostitution services online through WhatsApp.
Police raided a hotel room on the same day and arrested Titi. An examination of her mobile phone revealed conversations on the Line application with an individual known as Koko, who had instructed her to meet a customer for RM360.
Investigations found that Titi had been offering sexual services through the application, with the customer paying RM360 for 45 minutes.
Items seized during the investigation included a mobile phone, a condom and RM400 in cash.
In mitigation, counsel Nathaniel Wong sought a lenient sentence, saying Titi was a first-time offender, was remorseful and had a grandmother in Jakarta.
He also asked the court not to refer her to the Immigration Department, as her passport and visa were still valid.
Yusdi urged the court to impose a deterrent sentence.
The court ordered the return of Titi’s mobile phone and passport and the disposal of the seized cash.
