Reformative training for teen who provided sexual services as a minor, extorted client

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Shaffiq Alkhatib

SINGAPORE - A 17-year-old girl who performed sexual acts with a 34-year-old man in exchange for $950 later worked with another teenager to extort him of more money.

The teenager, who had performed the sexual acts, turned 18 in April 2023, while the other girl, now 17, is identified in court documents as A1.

As the man had unlawfully engaged the sexual services of the then-underage girl in February and March 2023, the two teenagers agreed that they would threaten to lodge a police report against him if he refused to pay up.

When confronted, he transferred $50,000 to the older girl's bank account.

On Feb 22, the 18-year-old girl was ordered to undergo reformative training for at least six months after she pleaded guilty to one count each of cheating and extortion.

This means that she will be detained in a centre to observe a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.

The man was earlier charged with two counts of obtaining the sexual services of an underage girl in exchange for cash. The cases involving him and A1 are pending.

The two girls cannot be named as they were below 18 at the time of the offences. The man's identity cannot be disclosed due to a gag order.

In mid-February 2023, the man communicated with a user of messaging platform Telegram to look for somebody who could provide sexual services to him.

Details about the Telegram user have been redacted from court documents.

The user then told the man that a local girl, who turned out to be the older teenager, would be able to provide such services.

The man met her on Feb 26, 2023 and handed her $600 in exchange for sexual services. He engaged her services again on March 2, 2023 and gave her $350.

Four days later, he contacted the girl and offered her $400 if she would go to the movies with him.

She accepted the offer and told A1 about him.

The two girls then agreed to meet the man and extort money from him for obtaining sexual services from a minor.

That evening, the teenagers went to Lot One shopping mall in Choa Chu Kang and the older girl instructed the man to meet her at a nearby multi-storey carpark.

When the man arrived, A1 came forward and asked him if he knew that the older girl was then a minor. He replied that he was aware that she was 17 years old at the time.

A1 then told the man that he could be incarcerated if the police were alerted about what he had done.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Rimplejit Kaur said: "The victim tried to flee but was prevented from doing so by A1 who obstructed his path. The victim pulled A1 and the latter shouted 'molest'.

"On hearing this, the victim was frightened and asked (what was wanted from him). A1 told the victim that they wanted money."

The victim proposed handing over between $2,000 and $5,000 but A1 stated that she had a $100,000 debt to settle.

The parties had a negotiation, and they agreed that the man would make a payment of $50,000 in exchange for their silence.

The two girls allowed him to leave the vicinity after he transferred the amount to the older girl's bank account.

The older teenager then transferred $23,850 to A1 but two days later, she asked the younger girl to return the money to her.

As A1 had spent a potion of the money, she managed to return the older girl only $18,000. Investigations revealed that the older girl then used her ill-gotten gains to buy items including jewellery and designer clothes.

Due to such expenditure, the older teen was unable to make restitution to the man.

Separately, in March 2023, she and A1 planned to deceive others into believing they would receive sexual services from A1 after paying a sum of money.

However, the two girls had no intention of providing such services.

An advertisement purportedly offering sexual services was then placed on A1's Telegram account and on April 1, 2023, a 26-year-old man responded to it.

The two girls later met him at the void deck of a Petir Road block of flats near Bukit Panjang Road and he transferred $500 to A1's bank account.

After that, the two girls made an excuse and fled. He did not receive the sexual services as promised, said DPP Kaur.

The two girls later shared the ill-gotten gains equally, with each receiving $250.

Court documents did not disclose how the offences came to light but the 34-year-old man and A1 were arrested on April 4, 2023.

The two teenagers and the man were charged in court soon after.