The latest report from CNA.
SINGAPORE: A website featuring what seem to be Singapore schoolgirls in sexually suggestive poses has caused a furore among parents.
The pictures have been seen on sggirls.com, a website that is hosted on a US server.
There are pictures of girls locking lips with each other, or striking various suggestive poses.
Some poses suggest the possibility of a lesbian relationship.
Many of the girls in the pictures are in clearly identifiable uniforms of reputable local girlsÂ’ schools, and their faces are also clearly seen.
The suggestive pictures have not only outraged but also worried parents.
"They are terrible, not like our time. During our time, we don't behave like this. We'd feel shy," said a parent.
"Very disgusting. They shouldn't be involved in this," said another.
Some schoolgirls Channel NewsAsia spoke to said they knew some of those featured.
But some maintained the girls were victims of cruel pranks, possibly by friends who took the pictures.
"My friend's picture was on it. She was wondering why her picture was there and she was quite scared," said a student.
But some students acknowledged it was also possible that some of these raunchy pictures were posted by the girls themselves.
"There are some students who put these photos deliberately on the Net and this is quite bad. It reflects badly on themselves and on the school," said a student.
The website came to Channel NewsAsia's attention last week when a concerned father emailed Channel NewsAsia to say he caught his 16-year-old daughter looking at the website.
According to the email, the girl, who is from a reputable all girls' school, told her father that "she was under peer pressure to pose such provocative and sexy pictures in this website in order to gain recognition."
Channel NewsAsia wrote to the Education Ministry for its comment on the issue.
In its email response, the Education Ministry says homosexuality is covered in an existing sexuality education programme.
In the "Growing Years" VCD distributed to lower secondary schools, the term "homosexual" is explained, and the difference between sexual identity and sexual orientation is clarified.
And students struggling with such feelings are also encouraged to talk to an adult they trust.
As for teachers on the sexuality education programme, the MOE says that they have also been advised to "relate to lesbian students as individuals, with needs for love, understanding and acceptance as their peers have."
Channel NewsAsia understands the website belongs to a 24-year-old Singaporean who is studying economics in the UK.
He had set it up when he was a 17-year-old pre-university student in Singapore.
At that time, the website was known as jcgirls.com. - CNA/ir