A 21-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to 14 years in prison and 15 strokes of the cane after being convicted of multiple sexual offences against young girls, as well as violent crimes committed when he was still a teenager.
The offender committed the offences between the ages of 15 and 17. His victims in the sexual offences were girls aged between 13 and 16. Because he was below 18 when the crimes were committed, his identity remains protected by a court gag order.
Court documents showed that he used social media and mutual friends to approach several girls between November 2020 and December 2022.
In one case, he befriended a 15-year-old girl on Instagram when he was 16. He later invited her to his home, where he sexually assaulted her over two days.
He subsequently targeted a 13-year-old girl he met online. After meeting her at a Housing Board block, he sexually assaulted her. She told a friend about the incident, leading to a police report and his arrest.
However, prosecutors said he continued offending after being released on bail.
In another case, he invited a 14-year-old girl to his home after telling her that friends would be there. Once she arrived, he sent the others away and sexually assaulted her despite her resistance.
A further victim, also 14, was attacked in a handicap-accessible toilet at Jurong Point in December 2022. The girl resisted, but the offender continued the assault and used physical force before she managed to escape and report the incident.
The offences were not limited to sexual crimes. The offender was also involved in violent incidents, including a group attack on a 14-year-old boy in Ang Mo Kio.
The group reportedly brought the teenager to a multi-storey carpark and assaulted him until he was unconscious. He suffered bruising and abrasions to his face and scalp and was taken to hospital.
The court heard that the offender had been affiliated with a street-corner gang during the period of the offences.
He eventually pleaded guilty to nine charges, including sexual assault involving penetration, statutory rape, aggravated outrage of modesty, rioting and voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. Another 29 charges were taken into consideration when he was sentenced.
The sentence was imposed on Sept. 21, 2026. The prosecution had described him as a recalcitrant offender, highlighting that some offences were committed while he was already on bail.
The case comes as Singapore continues to strengthen its legal response to serious sexual offences involving minors. In September, the Ministry of Home Affairs said existing penalties include lengthy imprisonment and caning for certain sexual offences against children, while a new Sentence for Enhanced Public Protection regime that began in July 2026 provides for extended detention of certain serious violent or sexual offenders who are assessed to pose a substantial risk of reoffending.
The case underscores the seriousness with which Singapore’s courts treat repeated sexual and violent offending, particularly where young victims are involved. The identities of the victims and the offender remain protected because the offences were committed when he was under 18.
