A 23-year-old man has been sentenced to 23 months in jail and fined S$2,000 after admitting to sexually exploiting two underage girls, including having sexual intercourse with one of them and repeatedly pressuring both victims to send explicit photos and videos.
The accused pleaded guilty to five charges on 3 July, while another 13 charges were taken into consideration during sentencing, according to Shin Min Daily News. He cannot be identified because the offences were committed when he was below the age of 18, and a gag order has been imposed under the Children and Young Persons Act.
Court documents revealed that the man met a 15-year-old girl through social media in 2021, and the pair later communicated on Telegram. He repeatedly asked the teenager to engage in sexual activities with him. Although she initially rejected his advances, he continued to pressure her.
At the time, the girl was emotionally vulnerable following her parents’ divorce and was looking for someone to confide in. She eventually gave in to his requests. Between August and December 2021, the pair met on five occasions and engaged in sexual activities. Despite telling him she wanted to save her virginity for someone “special”, she later agreed to have sexual intercourse with him.
The man also persuaded the teenager to send him explicit images, resulting in her sending 13 nude photographs and four videos.
In a separate incident in 2020, the accused befriended another girl through social media when she was a Secondary One student aged between 12 and 13. He repeatedly asked her to send nude photographs and videos despite her reluctance.
Unable to withstand the persistent requests, the younger victim eventually shared explicit content through Instagram Stories, believing the material would disappear after 24 hours. However, the accused secretly saved nine nude photographs and three videos using screenshots and screen recordings without her knowledge.
The case highlights the dangers of online grooming and exploitation involving minors, with authorities continuing to urge parents and young people to remain vigilant about inappropriate contact through social media platforms.
