SINGAPORE: A man was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Tuesday (Jun 24) for engaging in a sexual act with a 14-year-old girl that her male teenage acquaintances arranged.
Terrance Teo Jian Xiang, 29, pleaded guilty to one charge of sex with a minor aged below 16.
Teo is one of three men charged with sexual offences involving the same underaged girl over a few days in early July 2024.
The other two men – Goh Shao Heng, 24, and Yong Eak Chung, 28 – are set to plead guilty in July.
The identities of the victim and her acquaintances – two 16-year-old boys named A1 and A2 in court documents – are protected by gag order.
The victim and A1 met on Instagram, and A1 and A2 were friends.
The court heard that the victim was living in a girls’ home at the time.
“After attending school on Jul 4, 2024, the victim did not return to the home but went to meet A1 and told him that she needed a place to stay,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Melissa Heng.
“A1 told her that he could find a place for her to stay. However, in exchange, the victim would have to provide sexual services for men. The victim agreed as she felt that she had no choice.”
A1 introduced the girl to A2, who then advertised sexual services in a Telegram chat group named “Watermelon”.
The next day, Teo posted in the chat group that he was looking for a service. He received a response from A1 or A2 within the day, and they arranged for him to buy a sexual service for S$200 (US$155).
Following A1 or A2’s instructions, Teo went to the staircase landing of a Housing and Development Board block in Punggol that evening. The victim arrived shortly after Teo.
“The victim asked (Teo) if he was sent by ‘the boss’, and (Teo) replied yes,” said Ms Heng. After telling her what he wanted, Teo scanned a QR code and used PayNow to pay S$200 to an account in A2’s name.
Teo did not ask for the victim’s name or age, and did not check her NRIC or other identification, added the prosecutor.
The victim set a two-minute alarm on her phone and performed a sexual act on Teo until the timer went off. She then said she had to go, and left.
Teo messaged A1 or A2 asking why the sexual act lasted only two minutes. When asked for a review, he said the service was not provided in full. Their Telegram chat was subsequently deleted.
Teo was arrested on Aug 29, 2024. Court documents did not state how the offence was discovered and how Teo was identified.
The prosecution urged the court to impose eight months’ imprisonment. Teo’s defence lawyer Zheng Yirong sought not more than five months’ jail.
Ms Zheng argued that Teo genuinely believed the victim was of legal age and that “her behaviour supported that belief”.
He would not have gone through with the sexual act if he had known the girl was underaged, the lawyer said.
She also argued that the offence was a one-off transaction arranged by someone Teo did not know, and that he did not groom the victim or put pressure on her.
The punishment for sexual assault of a minor is a jail term of up to 10 years, a fine or both penalties.
