SINGAPORE: A man who had “uncontrolled sexual habits” was ordered on June 3 to undergo reformative training for at least a year after raping two girls, aged 13 and 14.
The offender, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of rape and one count of possessing intimate images of a third victim, who is his 17-year-old female cousin.
The man cannot be named as that could lead to the identification of his cousin.
During reformative training, young offenders are detained in a centre to undergo a strict regimen that can include foot drills and counselling.
Deputy public prosecutors Jordon Li and Jeremy Bin said that in mid-2023, the offender met the first victim on Omegle, an online platform where users are paired with strangers to chat.
Omegle was shut down in November 2023 amid multiple lawsuits accusing the platform of facilitating the sexual exploitation and grooming of minors.
The first victim was 13 and in Secondary 1 at the time. Despite knowing her age, and being aware that having sex with her would be illegal, the offender got her to send him nude videos and hatched a plan to have sex with her.
In June 2023, they arranged to meet up for sex, and the offender brought along three sex toys.
They went to Nex in Serangoon where they bought lingerie for her. After lunch, they headed to a Housing Board block near the victim’s home and had sex at a staircase landing.
The offender also met the second victim, who was 14 at the time, on Omegle. Despite knowing her age, he suggested they have sex.
In February 2023, they met at Causeway Point and took a bus to a nearby HDB block and had sex at a staircase landing there.
In July 2023, the first victim’s mother filed a police report saying her daughter had been raped. It was not mentioned in court documents how her mother found out.
Police later seized the offender’s mobile phone and discovered that he had two intimate photos of his female cousin on it.
Investigations revealed that the offender had taken photos of his cousin when they were on a trip in South Korea with her parents in February 2023.
During the trip, the offender shared a room with his cousin. They were close and would sometimes change in front of each other.
The offender told police he took the photos for his own gratification and did not share them with anyone.
In the grounds of decision dated June 12, District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan said that while there was no evidence of force or coercion of the two girls the offender met, they were vulnerable due to their ages.
The judge added that there was some degree of exploitation of their youth.
He added that the reformative training report presented the offender as someone who exhibited “entrenched pro-criminal attitudes”, and noted that the offender had watched pornographic materials online since he was seven and had sexual interactions with multiple partners.
“These uncontrolled sexual habits contributed to his offending behaviour,” added Shaiffudin.
He said the offender’s family were previously unaware of his sexual habits but are now supportive of his motivation to make amends.
In coming to his decision on sentencing the offender to reformative training, the judge said: “He had come clean and accepted full responsibility.
“He did not minimise his culpability or make any attempt to shift the blame on the victims.
“He expressed motivation and willingness to work on his areas of need. All these were indicative of a good potential for reform.” - The Straits Times/ANN
