On Tuesday, June 24, 2025, a 29-year-old man, Terrance Teo Jian Xiang, was sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to engaging in a sexual act with a 14-year-old girl.
The girl was arranged for the act by her male teenage acquaintances, with Teo being one of three men charged in connection with the case.
Teo is one of three men charged with sexual offences involving the underaged girl over a few days in early July 2024.
The other two accused, Goh Shao Heng, 24, and Yong Eak Chung, 28, are scheduled to plead guilty in July.
The identities of the victim and her acquaintances—two 16-year-old boys identified as A1 and A2—are protected by a court gag order.
KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE CASE :
- The victim was coerced into a sexual act after being introduced via Instagram and Telegram chat groups, with the perpetrator paying S$200 through PayNow without verifying her age.
- Terrance Teo pleaded guilty to engaging in a sexual act with a minor and was sentenced to seven months’ jail, with the court considering his belief that the girl was of legal age.
- The case involves multiple offenders and highlights risks of online exploitation of minors, with the victim being manipulated by her acquaintances to facilitate the assault.
WHAT HAPPENED :
According to the Channel News Asia, the victim, who was living in a girls’ home at the time, met A1 on Instagram. After attending school on July 4, 2024, she did not return home, instead meeting A1 and requesting a place to stay.
A1 allegedly told her he could find her a place but in exchange, she would have to provide sexual services for men. Feeling she had no choice, the girl agreed.
A1 introduced her to A2, who advertised sexual services in a Telegram chat group called “Watermelon.”
The following day, Teo posted in the chat group that he was seeking a sexual service. Within the day, he received a response from either A1 or A2, leading to an arrangement for him to pay S$200 for the service.
Under instructions from A1 or A2, Teo went to a staircase landing of an HDB block in Punggol where the victim arrived shortly after. The girl asked if he was sent by “the boss,” to which Teo responded affirmatively. After detailing his request, Teo scanned a QR code and paid via PayNow. He did not ask for the girl’s name or age or verify her identity through NRIC or other identification.
The victim set a two-minute alarm on her phone and performed a sexual act on Teo until the timer expired. She then left, stating she had to go.
Teo later messaged A1 or A2 to inquire why the act lasted only two minutes, and when asked for a review, he claimed the service was not provided in full. The Telegram chat between Teo and the others was deleted afterward, the report added.
Teo was arrested on August 29, 2024.
Court documents did not specify how the offence was discovered or how Teo was identified.
Prosecutors initially sought an eight-month jail term, but Teo’s defense lawyer, Zheng Yirong, argued for a lighter sentence of no more than five months, emphasizing Teo’s genuine belief that the girl was of legal age, and that it was a one-off transaction without grooming or coercion involved.
The punishment for sexual assault of a minor can be up to ten years in prison, a fine, or both.
The court ultimately sentenced Teo to seven months’ jail.
Image via Google
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