A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to two years and eight months in jail for the sexual exploitation of two boys residing in the same housing block.
The man, who was 20 years old at the time of the offenses, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possessing obscene films. Two additional charges related to filming the sexual abuse and possessing obscene photographs were considered during the sentencing, according to report.
The sentencing took place on January 6, and the identities of both the victims and the offender are protected under a gag order.
According to court documents, the first victim, an 11-year-old boy, was approached by the offender at the void deck of their block in December 2022. Initially, the boy ignored the man, but during a second encounter, the offender persisted in engaging the child and followed him for a short distance.
This led to the boy visiting the man’s home seven or eight times at the man’s invitation.
During one of these visits, which occurred between December 2022 and April 2023, the man removed the boy’s clothes and committed an indecent act. On other occasions, he touched the boy’s stomach and back and asked him to touch his own private parts. The offender also hugged the boy multiple times in public areas, which was witnessed by a neighbor who subsequently informed the boy’s mother.
Following this, the mother filed a police report after discussing the situation with her son, the report added.
The second victim, an eight-year-old boy, was invited to the man’s home on April 3, 2023.
During this visit, the man instructed the boy to remove his clothes, after which he committed an indecent act. The man filmed the incident with his phone and even asked the boy to blow a kiss for the camera, resulting in a 47-second video that the offender kept for his own sexual gratification.
The police arrested the man at his home on April 27, 2023, following a report made by another complainant. Investigators found 37 obscene films on the man’s two mobile phones, including the video of the second victim and five videos of child abuse downloaded from the internet.
During the sentencing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Heng requested a jail term of 38-and-a-half months, highlighting the vulnerability of the young victims and the high degree of sexual exploitation involved. She noted that there was clear premeditation, as the man invited the children to his home under the guise of friendship, allowing him to commit the offenses in private.
“The man was persistent in getting to know the first victim, following him and calling him “adorable”, Ms Heng added according to the report.
The defense counsel, Mr. Harpal Singh, argued for probation, citing the man’s familial support and progress in rehabilitation, such as seeking mental health treatment and complying with bail conditions.
However, Deputy Principal District Judge Ong Chin Rhu found insufficient evidence of true rehabilitation, stating that while the man sought treatment for mental health issues, it was unclear if these conditions contributed to his criminal behavior.
The judge also pointed out that the man was already 20 at the time of the earliest offenses and should not be treated as a youthful offender.
The law stipulates that the punishment for sexual exploitation of a child under 14 can lead to a jail term of up to seven years, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. For possessing obscene films, the penalty can be up to six months in jail, a fine of up to S$20,000, or both.
Image via goolge
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