Jail for married man convicted of obtaining sexual services from 13-year-old

The court heard that the married man created a Carousell account sometime in 2022 using a fake name and photo. He believed this approach would make it easier to hide his intentions from his wife as the platform focuses on the buying and selling of goods.

In March 2022, he came across a posting of a dress for sale at $18. He then contacted the seller to buy the dress.

Chew pretended to be a girl when speaking to the seller, saying he would send her brother – actually himself – to collect the dress and asked for her mobile number.

While speaking to her as the “brother”, Chew found out that the seller was in secondary school.

He later offered to pay her for sexual services which she accepted as she wanted the money.

He admitted during investigations that he knew the girl was 13 years old at the time.

In October 2022, he arranged to meet the girl at a shopping mall in the northern area of Singapore.

When they met, he took her to his car that was parked in the mall’s multi-storey carpark and drove her to a corner where nobody was around. They moved to the back seat, after which he paid her $150 in exchange for hugging her and touching her over her underwear.

In May 2023, he again offered the girl $150 to allow him to hug and touch her. The pair met again in the same carpark but found there were people around.

The man suggested going to the nearest staircase in the carpark. There, he hugged her from behind and touched her under her school uniform.

Those found guilty of obtaining sexual services from a minor can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.

Offenders can be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to $10,000 or both if found guilty of getting or trying to get a child below the age of 16 to carry out an obscene or indecent act.