A French teenager is facing criminal charges in Singapore after posting a social media video that showed him licking a straw from an orange juice vending machine and then placing it back.
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, was charged on April 24 and has not yet entered a plea, according to The Straits Times. Authorities say the incident took place at a shopping mall on March 12, and the video quickly spread online after it surfaced.
The court has granted the teen permission to travel to Manila from May 2 to May 25 for a school trip required for his graduation. He is scheduled to return to court on May 29.
Under Singapore law, a mischief charge can carry a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both. A public nuisance charge is less severe, with a maximum penalty of three months in prison, a fine, or both.
IJooz, the company that operates the vending machine, filed a police report after the incident. It also sanitized the machine and replaced all 500 straws. The company said it plans to upgrade its machines by introducing individually packaged straws and compartments that release straws only after a purchase is completed.
Lawyers for the teen, who is studying at a French business school in Singapore, declined to comment.
Singapore is known for its strict rules on public behavior and cleanliness, including bans and fines aimed at maintaining order, such as restrictions on chewing gum and tough penalties for littering and vandalism.