SINGAPORE: A private-hire car driver was sentenced to nine weeks' jail on Monday (Oct 9) for paying a 15-year-old girl for sex.
Lee Lai Soon, 31, said he thought the girl was around 18 based on her online advertisement and because she said she had a baby to care for.
Lee pleaded guilty to one count of commercial sex with a minor.
The court heard that the girl contacted an unidentified agent in 2022, saying she needed money to support herself and her newborn child.
She asked if he had any high-paying jobs to recommend, and he asked if she was interested in providing sexual services.
According to the agent, full sexual services would cost the customer S$500 (US$365), of which S$100 would go to him as commission.
If the girl did not want to give the agent the commission, she could have sex with him instead, he said.
Before August 2022, Lee joined a Telegram group chat which advertised sexual services. He saw an advertisement for "xmm" or "xiao meimei" providing such services and was interested.
He asked the agent for prices and photos, and was quoted a price of S$250 for a sex act.
In September 2022, Lee secured a booking with the agent for the girl's services.
He drove his vehicle to fetch the girl and paid her S$250 first.
In his bedroom, he told the girl that he wanted sexual intercourse, which would cost him another S$300.
Without asking the girl for her age or verifying her age, Lee had sex with the girl.
After that, she asked him for the additional S$300. He drove her to a nearby ATM to withdraw the cash and handed it to her before driving her back to her pick-up location.
The police raided Lee's house in May this year and arrested him after identifying him in investigations into a case of remote communication for sex.
The prosecutor sought nine weeks' jail, noting that jail terms were usually meted out for such cases.
Lee was unrepresented.
"I wish to say that at that point of time, I did not check (her age) because when I search for the service, it's stated as 'xiao mei mei' so I thought around 18," he said.
"She also told me she had a baby to care for, so I didn't think so much (to) make a check. I understand it's my mistake," said Lee.
He was granted a week's deferment to settle work matters.
For obtaining for consideration the sexual services of a minor, he could have been jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.