An Instagram stunt in Singapore could cost an 18-year-old French student more than two years behind bars. Prosecutors say Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien filmed himself licking a straw from an iJooz orange juice vending machine, then putting it back, and posted the clip to his Instagram Story with the caption “city is not safe,” the BBC reports. The March 12 video was quickly reposted, drew angry reactions online, and was picked up by local media.
Maximilien has been charged with being a public nuisance, which carries a penalty of up to three months in prison, and committing mischief, which could lead to a sentence of up to two years plus a fine, RTL reports. Authorities say he would have been aware that his actions would cause “unjustified loss or damage” to iJooz, which dispenses freshly squeezed orange juice from smart vending machines.
The vending machine operator says it replaced all 500 straws in the dispenser, lodged a police report, and carried out additional cleaning and checks. The teen, a student at the Singapore campus of France’s Essec Business School, is out on bail backed by a school representative after his parents flew in, according to his lawyers. The case is due back in court on May 22.