A 38-year-old Singaporean man has been sentenced to seven weeks’ jail after paying S$150 for the sexual services of a teenage girl who told him she was 21, when she was actually 16.
Muhammad ‘Aizat Khalis Daud pleaded guilty on Oct. 6 to one count of engaging the sexual services of a person below 18. He is the second man to be sentenced in connection with the case involving the teenager.
The case highlights Singapore’s strict laws protecting minors from commercial sexual exploitation, including situations where an offender claims to have relied on a young person’s stated age.
Contact Began on Telegram
The court heard that Khalis came across a message advertising sexual services in a Telegram group in early 2024.
He contacted the person who had posted the advertisement and agreed to pay S$150 for the services.
On Feb. 14, 2024, Khalis met the girl at the void deck of a block of flats in Geylang Bahru.
During their meeting, he asked about her age.
The girl told him that she was 21 years old.
Khalis accepted the answer and did not take further steps to establish whether she was actually an adult.
Paid S$150 Before Meeting Her
After the meeting, Khalis transferred S$150 through PayNow to a phone number provided by the girl.
The pair then entered a rented car at around 12.45pm.
Khalis drove to an undisclosed secluded location, where he parked the vehicle.
He subsequently attempted to have protected sex with the girl but was unable to penetrate her.
The court did not disclose how the authorities first became aware of the incident.
Khalis was arrested on Sept. 12, 2024.
Prosecutors Sought Longer Jail Term
Deputy Public Prosecutor Lu Huiyi urged the court to sentence Khalis to between eight and nine weeks’ jail.
The prosecution stressed that Khalis was about 20 years older than the girl and argued that he should have taken greater care to verify her age after deciding to engage her services.
The DPP noted that Khalis had asked the girl how old she was but simply accepted her answer without conducting any further verification.
The prosecution’s position reflected the seriousness of engaging the commercial sexual services of someone below 18, regardless of what age the person claims to be.
Defence Highlighted Lack of Penetration
Defence lawyer Kevin Liew of Gloria James-Civetta & Co asked the court to impose between four and six weeks’ jail.
In mitigation, he pointed out that Khalis had asked the girl about her age and was told that she was 21.
He also highlighted that there had been no penetrative sexual conduct, as Khalis had been unable to penetrate her.
The court ultimately imposed a sentence of seven weeks’ imprisonment, falling between the ranges sought by the prosecution and defence.
Khalis’ bail was set at S$15,000, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Nov. 10.
Second Man Sentenced in Same Case
Khalis was not the only man prosecuted in connection with the teenager.
Another man, Syahirul Daud Abdul Razak, 26, was sentenced to four weeks’ jail in September after being dealt with for engaging the same girl’s services.
The two men were among eight men charged in August in connection with the case.
The proceedings involving the other six men remain pending.
Singapore Police had earlier announced that eight men and one woman, aged between 20 and 41, would be charged over suspected offences involving the sexual exploitation of minors.
Police said their investigations involved two victims who were below 18 when the alleged offences took place. The woman was accused of facilitating commercial sexual services and profiting from the arrangements.
Why the Girl’s Claimed Age Did Not End the Case
The case also draws attention to an important distinction in Singapore’s approach to offences involving minors.
Although Khalis asked the girl her age and she allegedly told him she was 21, prosecutors argued that he should not have simply relied on the answer.
The court therefore considered the fact that he made no further effort to verify her age when assessing the circumstances of the offence.
His lawyer’s mitigation that the girl had claimed to be an adult and that there had been no penetration was taken into account, but the court still imposed a custodial sentence.
The case demonstrates that an adult’s responsibility does not necessarily end with accepting a minor’s claimed age at face value.
Broader Investigation Into Commercial Sexual Exploitation
The case comes amid a broader police investigation into the sexual exploitation of minors in Singapore.
In August, the Singapore Police Force said officers from the Specialised Crime Branch of the Criminal Investigation Department had arrested nine people following investigations into the exploitation of two minors.
The suspects comprised eight men and one woman. Police said the victims were both below 18 when the offences were committed.
Authorities have continued to warn against activities involving the commercial sexual exploitation of young people, particularly arrangements facilitated through online platforms and messaging applications.
For Khalis, the court proceedings have now resulted in a seven-week jail sentence. But with six other cases from the same investigation still before the courts, the wider legal fallout from the case is continuing.
