SINGAPORE, Sept 13 — A Singapore man who admitted to cutting off women’s hair on public buses because it aroused him has been jailed for two months and two weeks.

According to a report by The Straits Times, 26-year-old Edwin Chow Rui Xiong was sentenced on Thursday after pleading guilty to using criminal force with intent to outrage modesty, as well as being armed with scissors.

Chow’s offences included an incident on August 3, when he boarded bus service 185 in Dover and sat behind a woman with a ponytail. 

He was “sexually aroused by her long hair”, prosecutors told the court. 

He took a pair of scissors from his bag, cut the woman’s hair and placed it in a plastic bag with the intention of smelling it later.

The victim realised something was wrong after touching her ponytail. She confronted Chow, who remained silent, before alerting the driver. 

Police officers who later arrived found five pairs of scissors in his bag, along with several plastic bags containing women’s hair.

Chow admitted that he was attracted to women with long hair, and that cutting and sniffing the hair was sexually arousing for him. He was arrested the same day. 

Two other incidents involving different victims were taken into consideration during sentencing.

When asked in court if he wished to speak in mitigation, Chow, appearing by video link, smiled and said: “Nothing.” 

He later added: “I wish to have a lighter sentence, as I have a doctor’s appointment at the Institute of Mental Health next week.” 

District Judge Salina Ishak told him to inform prison officers about the appointment.

Those convicted of using criminal force with intent to outrage modesty in Singapore face up to three years in prison, fines, caning, or a combination of such penalties.